Death's Darkness
by Iwovepizza
Summary: Sequel to the Shadow's Song. Jason is currently recovering and still needs a lot of time to heal. Then Percy begins acting strangely and there are reports of a shadowy figure with blood red eyes sneaking around camp at night. Nico, Jason, and Annabeth decide to investigate on the two mysteries and what they find is far worse than they have ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N) Here is the much awaited sequel! I am so glad that you wanted this to become a trilogy. Just thank you! A thousand times thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Percy POV**

"Jason?" I asked and the blonde turned to me, his blue eye shining. Over his left eye a baby blue eye patch encrusted with silver studs concealed the hollow socket where he's gauged his own eye out with a spoon. That had been last summer when he's been infected with a horrible disease; the Shadow's Song.

The Shadow's Song was not something anyone at Camp Half-Blood liked to talk about. It reduced its victims to even less than an animal by dispatching a sort of parasitic manifestation of itself into the victim's minds. There it either asked for control or took it by force, ultimately taking over of the person's body. Piper, Leo, and I had luckily found the cure, but we had almost run out of time. Jason had been left scarred.

He flinched away from everyone's touch and avoided situations that involved confronting other campers. I tried to reach out to him, but I knew that he had to heal on his own time. I would never know what it was like to be so sick you lost your mind…until that evening.

The campfire blazed gold, yellow, and red and its flames leaped over twelve feet high. The Apollo campers joyously led us in a cheesy sing-a-longs and s'mores were passed around. Everyone was so happy; nothing could spoil the mood at the moment. Jason daintily nibbled at his s'more. Luckily, he had gained weight; he didn't eat for the length of the time the Shadow's Song controlled him and he had been a skeleton during the first few weeks of recovery.

He had broken up with Piper, but it wasn't a bad breakup. She understood that he couldn't necessarily love anyone after that scarring experience and she would gladly get back together whenever Jason decided he needed her again. We managed to coax Jason into eating more; graciously giving him second servings that he was expected to finish even if he was full. He was still skinnier than before, though, and he'd never be the same.

He had lost two fingers and his eye, and long scars covered his body. His missing fingers had been replaced by fake ones, but you could hardly tell the difference between his fake and real fingers. His eye patch was a constant reminder of those dark days, but he managed to get over the obstacles. Jason smiled at me and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Yes, Percy?" he asked and took another delicate nibble of his s'more. I raised my eyebrows at him and he groaned.

"But I'm not hungry." He complained.

"Finish it."

"I don't think your guys' method the healthiest way to gain weight."

"I don't care. Finish it."

Jason groaned again and forced the entire s'more down. He burped and clutched his abdomen, as if it were difficult to even stomach a s'more. I chuckled and Jason shot me a withering look.

"So, as you were saying before you brutally forced me to eat a piece of junk food that I couldn't possible digest?" Jason's voice had a rather irritated tone to it and he was scowling. I had no idea what the fuss was about; the s'mores were delicious and I had no idea why someone _wouldn't_ want to eat them.

"I just wanted to ask how you're doing." I told him sincerely. Jason raised his eyebrows and his scowl turned into a slight downturn of the lips. His scar, which had managed to survive the horrible disease, seemed white in the firelight.

"Good. I guess." He sighed. I chuckled.

"What do you mean by 'I guess'?" I snorted and crossed my arms. Jason only shrugged and that's when Will, who had been handing out the s'mores, saw that Jason had finished his first one. He hurried over with his tray full of treats and offered it to us.

"Want another one?" he asked in a laid-back manner.

"No thanks. I'm full." Jason replied.

"It was a rhetorical question." Will said flatly and placed another s'more into Jason's lap. The son of Jupiter looked up at me, his blue eye distant with concentration as if he were devising some sort of plan.

"I will pay you ten drachmas if you eat this for me." He offered.

"Getting paid to eat food? Awesome." I plucked the s'more out of his hand and wolfed it down in two quick bites. "What if he hands you another one?"

"Ten drachmas for each s'more you eat for me." Jason replied as he placed ten golden Greek coins into my palm. I grinned.

"Deal." I reply. "So, anything going on?" Jason shrugged.

"No, not really. Just normal camp stuff, though climbing the rock wall is hell; the lava keeps raining down on my blind side." The son of Jupiter gestured to the mild burn on his left arm, though it was healing drastically probably due to ambrosia.

"That's gotta hurt." I whistled. I remembered my first days at camp when getting scalded by the climbing-wall lava was a normal occurrence, but I had gotten so well at climbing it I'd forgotten the feeling. God forbid I actually get scorched.

"No shiz." Jason snapped. "Also my capture the flag privileges were confiscated. Chiron says that with my fake fingers and eye patch I'll be more vulnerable and could possibly get killed. Even after that my right to bear arms was taken away as well, for fear that I wouldn't be able to hold it properly and something would happen."

"That sucks." I sighed and Jason nodded in agreement. His head was lowered and his eye was misty.

"I hate being helpless. What's the point of being a demigod when you can't fight monsters? I'm just a burden now. A weak link." His voice cracked. I put a hand on his shoulder and stood up, helping Jason up as well. Chiron raised an eyebrow and I excused us from the campfire. The voices faded as we made our way to the Zeus cabin. I closed the door behind me and sat Jason down on the bed. He was crying now, tears streaming down his cheek. He let out a frustrated cry and tore his eye patch off, tossing it to the side. His eyelid was closed, but I knew that there was nothing behind that except an empty socket.

I gathered him into my arms and he clutched my shirt, sobbing into my shoulder. "It's okay. It's okay." I murmured. The door to the cabin created open a bit and Annabeth poked her head in to check on us. I made a gesture that signaled that my girlfriend should leave, and she nodded and closed the door. Jason had stopped crying, but he was trembling so bad my arms were vibrating just by holding him.

"Want me to leave?" I asked him. Jason shook his head vigorously.

"No. Stay." He pleaded and I hugged him closer to me. I held him tightly and eventually he fell into a rather fitful sleep.

Later the next day I found myself as the captain of the blue team for capture the flag. Annabeth was the captain of the red team, of course, which only made it more difficult to win. Besides her brainiac-ness, it didn't help that she was my girlfriend and knew almost all of my weaknesses.

"All right everyone. Settle down! SETTLE DOWN!" It took several tries, but Chiron managed to quiet the mass of whispering campers. "You all know the rules. Jason and I will be the referees and will help with any injuries. Isn't that right, Jason?"

The son of Jupiter looked down and muttered, "That's right." I knew he really wanted to participate in the actual flag-capturing part. I just thought that Chiron was making things better for Jason just in case he got picked last for teams; nobody would want a disabled camper on their team since they would just be a weakness. It sounds horrible, but it was true.

"Just to let you know, we have released a new monster into the woods. It was recommended by Camp Jupiter, and it's like a tapeworm. We have no idea what it does, but all we know is that it's parasitic." Jason flinched at this and warily checked the ground as if one of the monsters was lurking right by his feet. Chiron continued, "Campers from Camp Jupiter usually caught it early before it could grow inside them, so you can't hesitate to ask for help. With that said, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!" The teams hurriedly departed to go find a place to hide their flag.

I ran beside Clarisse who, sadly, was my second-in-command. I really had no choice. Annabeth was able to choose first and she got all the good kids while I got stuck with all newbies except for Clarisse and Drew. Drew wasn't a real help at all, so that left me with Clarisse as the only experienced fighter.

"So where are we gonna hide this flag, punk?" the daughter of Ares snorted. Her face was obscured by her helmet that sprouted blue plumes and her spear was strapped to her back.

"Got any ideas?" I panted. I had to admit, it was difficult to run in armor. The worst part was that Clarisse and I had to slow down in order to allow the newbies, who were having even more trouble running with armor and weapons, to catch up.

"How about Zeus' fist?" a new Iris camper, Agnes, suggested. I shook my head.

"Annabeth will expect me to hide it there. She knows me like the back of her hand, so we have to do something…unexpected." I replied.

"What about the burrows?" Aidan, a Hephaestus camper, asked.

"The burrows?" Clarisse and I questioned in unison. We had never heard of these 'burrows' before. Was he talking about a rodent burrow or something?

"The burrows is the name for all of the unexplored tunnels in Bunker 9, and there are a lot of them. Bunker 9 is fair game, right?" Aidan told us. Clarisse and I exchanged a look.

"It has to be in plain sight." Agnes reminded us and the rest of the team muttered in agreement.

"How about this? Clarisse, you go hide the flag in a position that may be temporary. I'll go scout these 'burrows' and see if they are fair game, since Bunker 9 has become a part of where you can hide the flag." I suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and set off, while I picked my way towards Bunker 9. My senses were high on alert for monsters and enemy campers, but I wasn't confronted as I approached the large stone wall.

Leo had made sure that everyone could open the door and not just him and thanks to a special switch it was made possible. The door swung open without even the slightest of sounds, which was strange due to its large size. I crept inside and the door swung closed behind me, momentarily shrouding me in complete darkness. Then the lights flickered on and the gigantic room was illuminated with a white-yellow haze.

Unfinished projects, both new and old, were scattered across the table. Festus lay motionless on his platform, his red eyes dull. Leo had disabled him for some upgrades, but it had been more difficult than usual because Piper had woken him up all those years ago. I almost wished that the bronze dragon was up and running; his company would've blown away the building unease that sat like a lead ball in my stomach. Something bad was going to happen. My senses were tingling, but I didn't sense any monsters around.

It was eerily quiet and only the sounds of my footsteps echoing throughout the complex could be heard. Maps and charts and blueprints of unmade inventions hung on the walls and were scattered across the table. Some of the pages were yellowing from age, but some were fresh and new. I got a glimpse at a walking, talking mechanical dog that Leo planned on making, though I wasn't sure what my opinions were about that. Of course, a mechanical dog was cool, but if this dog was going to be anything like Arum and Argentum and on top of that could talk, then it would be a little creepy, not to mention disturbing.

Ringing began to sound in my ears as the silence covered the room in a thick blanket. I nearly called out just to hear the sound of my own voice, but I decided against it. I turned and saw a tunnel that branched off of the main bunker. It was dark as hell in there and I couldn't see two feet into it. A wooden board with the word 'Unexplored' was nailed over the entrance. It must've been one of the burrows. I gulped. It didn't look all that friendly in there and who knows what could be lurking in the shadows. I calmed myself and steeled my nerves. This was Bunker 9; the impenetrable Bunker 9 that no monster could even dream of getting into.

I grabbed a flashlight that was just sitting around on one of the tables and flicked it on. I braced myself just in case it exploded or something, but it was just a regular flashlight. I waved the yellow beam of light around the walls and floor as I entered the burrow. If we put the flag here, it wasn't necessarily _not_ in plain sight. Anyone would be able to see it, it was just that it would be too dark to do so. _Leo should really think of installing some lights in here. This place is freaking me out. _I thought. The walls, instead of being concrete like the walls of the main bunker, were earthen. I remembered the roiling earth as Gaea awoke and the muskeg that trapped me. I began to panic, but I told myself that Gaea was asleep once more; that nobody was going to hear from her again, but I couldn't keep away my unease.

The light behind me faded and when I turned around that light from the main bunker was but a yellow square in the wall far behind me. I desperately tried to steady my breathing and my heart rate, but to no prevail. I walked and walked until the main bunker was long gone, the light from the flashlight as my only guide. _How far does this place go? _I asked myself. _Just a few more feet and I'll turn around. I'll report back that this is a legit and valid place to hide the flag. _Just as I turned around, the light from my flashlight dimmed. I only was able to run a few feet before it went out.

The darkness consumed me and I nearly cried out, but I had to stay calm. I continued to run, but the main bunker entrance was nowhere in sight. Did I take a wrong turn? Was there more than one tunnel? The panic overwhelmed me and I had to admit; even demigods can be scared of the dark. That's when I tripped and fell. I let out a cry of alarm escape my lips and I outstretched my arms to cushion the fall. That's when I felt something in my lower leg. It was a sort of burning sensation and then I felt something moving, as if my skin was shifting. After a few short minutes the feeling was gone and I was able to get back up again.

What had that been all about? I shook it off and stood up. Once I put my right foot down, a stinging pain raced up my leg. I had no idea why that happened; I wasn't in any overall pain. It was only when I put pressure on it did it hurt. I shrugged it off because after a few steps I was able to walk normally again and I picked my way through the tunnel until the light of the main bunker illuminated my vision.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but I ignored it. I probably just imagined that feeling of shifting skin because I was in the dark and panicking. Little did I know that it was actually more than that.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Sorry about the long update; I had to finish a PJO/Hunger Games crossover called Fallen. There was also the fact that I had to decipher the rest of the plot and have a vague idea of what was going to happen at the end. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Jason POV**

I woke up amidst a tangle of bed sheets and managed to wriggle my way out. I was probably thrashing and screaming in my sleep…again. Thunder rumbled overhead.

"Oh shut up." I growled at it and covered my head with my pillow. "I don't feel like getting up." But I did anyway. My bare feet touched the floor and a cold shiver went up my spine. The marble basically froze during the night and it wasn't pleasant to sock-less skin. I shivered in my lightning-bolt-patterned boxers. Somehow even if it was a bazillion degrees outside Cabin One always was twenty below zero. My breath came out in a puff of steam and I pretended that I was a dragon breathing smoke (Come on now, you know you've done it at one point or another.)

I slipped my boxers off and threw on a Camp Half-Blood T-shirt and some jeans, along with my favorite purple socks. I had no idea why I liked them so much, but it just felt right wearing them. Was it because purple was my all-time favorite color, just like how Percy's favorite color was blue? Okay, I lied. I liked purple a lot, but it was nothing compared to Percy's obsession with blue.

I was ready to walk out when I saw one of my eye patches on the floor. I was the baby blue one with silver studs, but it wasn't my favorite. I picked it up and tossed it into the drawer with my three other eye patches. I sifted through them and frowned. None of them were that great. I didn't have one with a skull and crossbones or anything cool like that. I had the baby blue one, a plain black one, a pink one (which used to be white but it accidentally got washed with the Aphrodite kids' clothes and ultimately turned pink), and a purple one. I picked up the purple one and dangled it in front of my face. It didn't really match my outfit, but I put it on anyway.

I slipped out of the door and plodded to the dining pavilion, which was already packed. Of course, my table was clear and neat and I sat down. I drummed my fingers on the table while I waited to be served. The nymphs placed a plate heaped with waffles in front of me. I gulped and gave them a look like: _Are you kidding me?_

"I only want one, please." I told them politely, trying to fight the anger out of my voice. They merely rolled their eyes and walked off to serve other campers. Great; now the nymphs have begun to participate in the let's-stuff-Jason-like-a-turkey-until-he-throws-up game. I groaned and frowned at the five waffles that oozed with syrup. They looked delicious, but I could never eat all of them. I produced ten drachmas from my pocket and turned to see if Percy would eat one of them, but to my surprise the Poseidon table was empty. What had happened?

Other's seemed to be noticing Percy's absence as well. Annabeth came over and quirked an eyebrow. "Do you know where he is?" she asked, but there was a sort of undertone to it that said: _If you put a finger on my boyfriend I will gauge out your other eye. _I shook my head vigorously and Annabeth's steely grey eyes bore into me for a moment, as if calculating whether I was lying or not. Finally, she walked off to campers at the other tables to ask if they'd seen Percy around.

I managed stomach one of my waffles and I leaned back, feeling quite satisfied. I got up to leave when I saw everyone staring at me. Clarisse cleared her throat and pointed at the leftover waffles.

"I'm full." I groaned. The daughter of Ares raised her eyebrows and cracked her knuckles, so I sighed and sat back down again. The commotion of the dining pavilion resumed once more. Nico, who had been chatting with Chiron, walked over and sat next to me.

"Need any help?" He asked, giving a pointed look at the waffles, and I nodded. He plucked one of them off of my stack and snapped it up in two quick bites. "That's all the free-bees I'm giving you. You have to eat the rest."

"But I gained three pounds last week. Give me a break." I complained.

"Compared to the measly ninety-three pounds you weighed right after you woke up? For a guy your size that is completely unhealthy. I'm two years younger than you and even I weigh more than ninety-three pounds." The son of Hades scoffed.

"How could I possibly have weighed ninety-three pounds?" I countered and slammed my fist on the table. Nico looked at me with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"It was just a guess, but seriously dude; you were basically a thin layer of skin pulled over a skeleton. You looked like crap." He snorted and gestured to the waffles. "Now eat." By the look on his face I knew he would either let me eat on my own or force it down my throat if it killed me. I managed to force another waffle down. It sat like a lead ball in my stomach and I could feel my stomach acid bubbling and growling in protest as extra and unneeded food was added. I looked up and Nico looked at me expectantly. "Now eat the next one." He growled.

"Thanks for your words of encouragement." I growled and crossed my arms angrily. I refused to get pushed around like this. This was the time I put my foot down.

"You're as stubborn as a mule, you know that right?" Nico asked and I shot him a withering look, which only made him chuckle. "Eat that or I'm telling Chiron that you're starving yourself." I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation.

"I am _not_ starving myself!" I bellowed, a little louder than I intended. Everyone turned to look at me and a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, but I continued, "I AM FULL! YOU HEAR ME? FULL. I DO NOT WANT TO FORCE DOWN ANY OTHER FOOD, NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS. THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS; I'M NOT A BABY SO STOP TRYING TO LOOK AT ME AS IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG, LIKE I'M TOO WEAK. IF YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M INJURED, THEN YOU'LL TREAT ME LIKE I'M INJURED. STOP THIS NOW." There was silence and the shock on everyone's face was eminent. Before anyone could say a word I stormed off to the bushes on the side of the pavilion and unceremoniously threw up my breakfast in front of everyone.

"See, look what you've done. Now he's Bulimic." I heard Drew Tanaka scoff. Nobody laughed. I whirled around to face the smug-looking daughter of Aphrodite.

"I AM NOT BULIMIC!" I shouted and sprinted out of the pavilion. I ran to the beach as fast as my legs could, tears streaming down my face. It was the only place I could get away from everything; from the campers, from Chiron and Mr. D, and especially from the disappointed looks that everyone would be giving me. They'd think that I was a lost cause because I was bulimic, which I wasn't. I didn't want to throw up my food after every meal in order to stay thin like other people with the disorder did. I wanted to eat, I really did, but if everyone kept forcing the food down my throat and then expecting me to eat more, then I'd be forced to throw it all up. What was wrong with them?

The beach air battered my face and hair, making the hairs on my arms stand up. Despite the chilly breeze I was glad that I was alone. I had solitude at last. I collapsed into the sand and curled up, crying silently. The waves lapping at the shore comforted me a little bit and the warmness of the early morning sun heating the sand seeped into my bones. I hated myself more than I cared to admit. I hated how I had to be weak; how I had to be infected with a horrible disease. Why did I have to be the one to get infected? Why me? Why not some other son of Jupiter or Zeus?

Nobody would understand. Thalia, maybe, but she was off with the Hunters. She had new, cooler, stronger, immortal girl siblings. She didn't have time for her stupid younger brother. I lay there, listening to the lapping of the waves to calm myself down, when a twig snapped behind me. I leapt to my feet only to come face-to-face with Percy. I sighed with relief.

"Oh, it's just you. I thought you were Chiron coming to chew me out about throwing up my food or something. You would've thought it was funny, but you had to be there. Speaking of which, why _weren't_ you there?" I asked, the relief evident in my voice as I turned to face the son of Poseidon, who was shrouded in the shade of the trees. That was a little strange.

Percy said nothing. His eyes were covered by thick sunglasses despite the fact that he was in the shadows. "Hello? Percy? Anyone home?" I joked and began to walk over to him, but he made a low growling sound in his throat and retreated into the shadows. I stopped in my tracks.

Was this some sort of joke? Percy was very strange and he did pull some of the weirdest pranks. Once he purchased a jumbo-sized back of skittles and began throwing them at the Iris campers whilst screaming, "TASTE THE RAINBOW!" Did I mention that he was also dressed in a Rainbow Dash costume? Then there was that other time he got turned into a rat because he was teasing the Hecate campers while he was in a Harry Potter costume. "Avada kedavra!" He would shout at the top of his lungs and bop them on the head with his makeshift wand. "THAT'S NOT EVEN A REAL SPELL!" the Hecate campers replied and then…yeah you get the point.

But something told me that this wasn't one of Percy's pranks. When he was pulling a joke, he usually couldn't contain his laughter, let alone maintain a straight face. The Percy that I'd just run into was poker-faced and dressed in all black, which was very un-Percy-like. _It looks like I'll have to investigate. I will crack this case and I'll show everyone that I'm not as helpless as I look. _And with that in mind I ran the way the son of Poseidon had disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Thank you for all of the support. It really means a lot! WARNING: MY ANNABETH POV SUCKS…at least it's not better than other POVs I can write from. ****_AND ALSO SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ BLOOD OF OLYMPUS. IT IS NOT MY FAULT IF IT GETS SPOILED. _**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO **

**Annabeth POV**

Okay, I was at the point where I was panicking. Like, a lot. I spent the rest of the day calling for Percy and trying to find him despite the fact that I should be following my camp activities schedule. I'd checked everywhere; from his filthy cabin to the stables to even Bunker 9. My boyfriend didn't even make the slightest of appearances.

_Get it together, Annabeth. _I chided myself. _You can't be one of those creepy, overly-attached girlfriends._ I ran my fingers through my hair, which I hadn't bothered to brush all morning. It looked like a rat's nest.

_But what if that sneaky bastard is having an affair? You have to bring him to justice. _Demanded the judicial part of my brain.

_He might be hurt! He could be dying in a pool of his own blood somewhere in the forest. _Screamed the protective part of my brain.

_He may just be enjoying a day off and away from society. Chill out, he'll be back tomorrow. _Exclaimed the hopeful part of my brain. I chewed on my fingernails. The hopeful part of my brain was rarely correct, because it was a little overly-hopeful. The only time it had been right was when the gods dropped from the sky and helped us defeat the Giants, even if they were unable to help us defeat Gaea.

"Percy!" I called for the thousandth time today. My voice was hoarse from doing so and some campers who had been passing by shot me dirty looks. I didn't blame them; I'd been causing a racket since Percy hadn't shown up at breakfast, but I could tell that they were worried, too. I groaned and rubbed my head. My boyfriend was such a seaweed brain sometimes; what trouble could he possibly have gotten himself into now? I plodded into the forest despite the rule that no camper should go alone, but I've defeated Giants. A few monsters wouldn't be a threat.

I came to the stream and remembered that day many, many years ago when Percy got claimed in this very spot. I couldn't believe my eyes; a son of Poseidon actually existed. For and unknown amount of time I just stared at the stream as it rushed passed my feet, making little gurgling sounds as it flowed over rocks and dirt. That's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whirled around, instinctively drawing my sword and leveling it at the stranger who had snuck up on me.

"Percy!" I cried and flung my arms around my boyfriend, who staggered a bit but managed to keep a hold on my waist. The son of Poseidon smiled and kissed my forehead before settling me back down on the ground. I hated the fact that he had reached his growth spurt and now he was basically a giant compared to me. Looking back to those days as a twelve-year-old when I was taller than him made my heart ache a little.

Then I realized that something was wrong. Percy's eyes were hissed by thick, tinted glasses and he smiled, but it was without humor. Very un-Percy-like. "Annabeth? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern, but his voice was hollow and his words sounded rehearsed. He took a step towards me and I backed up, my left sneaker soaking in the stream. The cold water soaked into my shoes and made my feet numb, but I didn't care. I needed to figure out what was wrong with Percy.

"Why do you have glasses on?" I hissed, raising the sword Damsen had given me so that it was level to his throat. Percy seemed unalarmed by this and his features were a mask of calm.

"What's wrong?" he repeated in that rehearsed tone and took another step closer. I stepped back and both my feet submerged into the stream. The cold made the hairs on my legs stand up, but I knew it wasn't just because of that; it was how Percy was acting that really made me creeped out. Percy approached me and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. I couldn't take it anymore; I grabbed his glasses and tossed them into the stream, where they washed away. Percy, caught off guard, staggered back and I tackled him to the ground. Pinning his chest with my foot, I glared at him with a scrutinizing gaze. What was he up to?

Percy looked up at me and I nearly screamed. Instead of green his eyes were a blood red. He must've seen the shock on my face, because he laughed. "Don't worry, Wise Girl. They're just contacts." He assured me. My eyes bore into his and I looked for that glassy sheen that you saw when someone was wearing contacts. I saw none. He was lying.

"Percy, you're not wearing contacts." I spat and he wiped saliva from his cheek nonchalantly.

"Fine. You caught me red-handed. Where do you think I've been all day? That's right, altering my eye color to be red instead of green." I found this unbelievable.

"But your green eyes were so much prettier than these red ones. You're such a Seaweed Brain." I scoffed and helped him up. I kissed him on the cheek and walked away, leaving him standing in the clearing, a humorless grin plastered on his face. Little did I know that an ice blue eye had been watching the entire thing from the bushes.


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N) Sorry about the long update. I am kicking myself right now, but at the same time I am so excited that all of you appreciated a Shadow's Song trilogy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Nico POV**

"Jason! Jason? Ugh, where has that blonde run off to now?" I groaned and slammed the door of Cabin One. Was he holding a grudge against me because I made him scarf down all of his breakfast? I had to admit, I had been a little harsh. These things took time to recover from, and I was rushing the process. That wasn't very friend-like. Now I hadn't seen Jason since breakfast and it was nearing the evening now. I had no idea where he possibly could have run off to, but I knew that I had to apologize as quickly as possible.

I'd checked everywhere…except the woods. I mumbled curses under my breath about how ignorant the son of Jupiter was and trudged off to see where he went. My mind began to wander as I pictured myself in Jason's shoes. The more I thought about it, the more it pained me to know how I'd treated him. I imagined only having one eye and only eight real fingers. I imagined having to put up with getting deprived from my favorite things at camp, including the rock climbing wall and capture the flag. I had to admit, I'd been anorexic during the titan war. It's not that I didn't want to eat to stay thin, it's just that I refused to eat because of all the stress that had been crushing me. I simply had more important things to worry about than eating.

Little by little I'd gained the weight that I'd lost back. It had taken time, though, and now we, the campers, had been forcing Jason to gain weight. I should've known that he was going to throw up and had taken it easy on him. I was so distracted I conked heads with someone. I stumbled back onto my butt, as did the other person. I looked up to see Jason rubbing his head, cursing under his breath.

"Jason!" I cried and threw my arms around him. I quickly realized that it was awkward and pulled away, collecting myself. In a more dignified tone I asked, "Where have you been? I've been looking all over."

"In the woods. Thinking. I decided that I'd accept the diet that the campers have assigned me. I'll try my best to gain back the weight. Promise." he said sincerely and helped me up. If you looked at him in the eye you could see right through his façade; he was really hurt on the inside and he was just apologizing and accepting being pushed around by everyone else just to make ends meet.

"No, it's my fault. Our, the campers', fault. We can't force the process of your recovery. You need to take your time. From now on, I'll stick up for you. You don't have to be ordered around anymore. I'll even try to persuade Chiron to let you play capture the flag." I knew it was the right thing to do. My friend was suffering and it was my job to do whatever I could to make him feel better. He grinned and his blue eye sparkled with hope and happiness, his smile not strained for once.

"That's great, Nico; I can't even describe how thankful I am. Even if you don't succeed in changing everyone's mind, I'm glad you tried for me. You're the best friend in the history of the world, but you'll never believe what I just saw." I gave him an odd look.

"What? Have you been snooping around the girls' bathroom? You perv." I joked, but Jason's face had turned dead serious. Whatever he saw was nothing to laugh at.

"I saw Percy." he said in a low voice. I could tell that my face lit up. I was grateful towards Jason for letting me know that Percy was alright, but when Jason's face still didn't lighten up, I knew that something was terribly wrong. Something had happened to Percy. The son of Jupiter continued, "I saw Percy and Annabeth talking in the woods. I'd followed him after an odd confrontation with him; he had been acting very strange, so I decided to check it out. After exchanging a few words with him, Annabeth seemed to catch on that there was something going on as well. Percy had been wearing these tinted sunglasses and Annabeth knocked them off." He paused.

"And-?" I asked and noted that my voice was full of concern and suspicion. I wrung my hands and idled with y skull ring. Percy had to be okay. We couldn't have two children of the Big Three get sick in the same year; if what was happening to Percy was anything like the Shadow's Song, we were in big trouble.

"His eyes were red." Jason finished and waited for a reaction. It took all my willpower not to laugh. Really? Percy's eyes being red? That sounded a little far-fetched to me. Jason was just kidding me; joking to make me concerned for Percy's safety. This was just a ruse; a trick to deceive me and make me think that we were in some sort of danger. I was stupid to think that there was anything wrong in the first place.

"Stop laughing. This isn't funny." Jason hissed, his voice seething with fury that was so genuine I nearly staggered back. I'd just realized that I had been snickering under my breath, but Jason and I were in such a quiet and secluded area that he heard it as clear as day. The desperateness in his tone made me snap out of this. Was Jason not joking? Was Percy really in trouble?

"Was he possessed? Like…" I stopped, knowing that the Shadow's Song was a touchy subject when you brought it up to Jason.

"Like Shadow." the son of Jupiter finished, his voice tight. He grit his teeth in a startling grimace and made a low growling sound in his throat.

"We have to check this out and I know the perfect person for the job."


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N) Cliffhanger…sorta. Here's is the much-awaited next chapter! Just an apology: there is going to be a random POV for a camper that isn't really in the story that much for the next two chapters, but I thought that it was necessary to incorporate this in order to get the plot running. It wouldn't have worked any other way. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Travis POV**

"So you're saying you want me to spy on Percy?" I asked quizzically and crossed my arms. Jason and Nico, who were sitting on the floor in front of me, nodded in unison. "Alone?"

"Yeah. I know you and your brother make a great team, but Percy is very keen when it comes to detecting spies. You're the stealthier one and can stay off Percy's radar better than Connor could have. I have to admit, he can be a bit of a klutz." Nico confirmed. I had no idea why they wanted me to eavesdrop on the son of Poseidon, and I knew what the consequences would be if I was caught. I didn't want to end up submerged in an ocean of toilet water like last time. Thinking back on that, I shivered. If Nico and Jason wanted me to spy on Percy, then the pay better be good.

"How much?" I demanded and raised an eyebrow. Nico and Jason exchanged grim looks.

"Can't you just help a bro out?" Jason asked, his voice laced with exhaustion and exasperation. I shook my head no and he dragged his hands down his face in frustration. He had a silent conversation with Nico and I tried to read their eyes, but they had such a strong connection that only they knew what the other was thinking, I, on the other hand, was in the dark. The only person I could read like that was my brother…and Katie, but that's an entirely different story.

The sons of Jupiter and Hades finally seemed to come to a conclusion. "Fifty." Nico announced in a low voice, glancing around the Hermes cabin as if there were people listening in on the conversation, but there was no one else in sight.

"Fifty…thousand?" I asked, my jaw dropping.

"No, just fifty." Nico replied and my face hardened. I set my jaw stubbornly and refused the low offer. This was my specialty, my talent; I wasn't going to put it to waste. You should always demand a high price for doing something you love.

"One hundred." I shot back. I was not going to risk getting caught by an angry son of the sea god just to earn fifty measly drachmas in return.

"Eighty."

"Ninety-five."

"Eighty-five. That's the highest we can go." the son of Hades told me with a shake of his head. I considered this for a moment. Eighty-five drachmas could buy me a brand-new Celestial Bronze knife from the Hephaestus cabin. My old one was dented and bent slightly to the right. If I was ever in a sudden battle with a monster, I would be as good as dead. I weighed my options; risk nearly drowning in toilet water or getting mauled by monsters? I decided to go with the first choice.

"Deal." I replied and shook hands with both Nico and Jason, relief evident on their faces. I was still getting accustomed to the fact that Jason was wearing an eye patch, but other than that he was exactly like the Jason I knew before the Shadow's Song. I had been one of the few campers that had opposed to his force-feeding kind of diet; what was the fun of eating if you just threw it all up again?

"We'll throw in an extra twenty drachmas if you don't ask why we want you to spy." Jason suggested in a low voice and I nodded vigorously. The two sons of the Big Three rummaged through their pockets and panned out one hundred-five drachmas that gleamed and glittered in the light from the window. I scooped them all up eagerly and shoved them into a pouch which I then stuffed into my jacket pocket, where I could keep an eye on it.

Jason and Nico thanked me and left with solemn nods. Dang, what was wrong with Percy that made them so down in the dumps? I was glad that I'd been asked to do the job, because I honestly had to admit that I was a little curious as well. It was all the better that I was committed to spying rather than just doing it for the money.

I slunk out of the Hermes cabin, my movements catlike. My feet didn't make as sound as I padded towards Cabin Three. I knew that, if I was to spy on Percy, the Poseidon Cabin would be the first place that I'd need to check before looking elsewhere. I rounded the cabin and couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful the rough grey stone was. Along with the pieces of seashell and coral to make it resembled the ocean floor, the Poseidon cabin was a mansion when compared to the Hermes cabin.

I knew that this mission would be difficult. Percy was a natural warrior with heightened senses that alerted him if anyone, whether it be monster or demigod, was watching him or nearby. He was spectacular with a sword and was probably the best swordsman in the entirety of Camp Half-Blood, maybe even the entirety of both Camp Half-Blood _and _Camp Jupiter. To add to that, all the windows in his cabin faced the sea, so it made it nearly impossible to see the inside from the outside on some angles, whereas people on the inside could see everything on the outside as clear as day.

That's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. The slight smell of the sea filled my nose, even though the ocean was a good distance away from the cabin. For some reason that smell of the sea seemed a little sour, like saltwater that had been poisoned or contaminated. I whirled around to see Percy, who was staring at me expectantly, his eyes hidden by thick, tinted glasses. My palms became sweaty and I fought down my panic just enough so that it didn't show on my face. Here he was, the person who I was supposed to be spying on, catching me off guard. In any case it should've been me catching him off guard rather than the other way around.

Percy smiled, but it was without humor, which made it seem more like a grimace. "Whatcha up to, Stoll?" he asked, his voice icy and cutting through me like a knife. I shivered at how un-Percy-like it sounded. Jason and Nico were right that there was something strange going on with the son of Poseidon. His voice held a hint of warning; an undertone that clearly stated, _I know you're up to no good. I will find out what it is and punish you for it. _

"Nothing." I replied vaguely, fighting to keep my voice from trembling. Percy raised an eyebrow, and if he hadn't been wearing those tinted glasses I would probably have seen them full of question. I mean really now, why would a camper be sneaking around outside of his cabin unless they were up to no good? He studied me for a moment, his mouth contorting into a sneer.

"Nothing as in looking through my windows? Are you _spying_ on me, Travis?" he accused. How was that possible? I hadn't even taken a peek into the cabin and he was already on my tail. He knew what was going on, I was sure of it. Then again, what was _he _doing behind Cabin Three? I was on an important mission that paid handsomely, but he obviously had something other to do. He was the son of freaking Poseidon for the gods' sakes! He couldn't possibly have nothing other to do besides monitor his cabin all day.

"N-n-no." I cursed myself for stuttering. _You couldn't have stated that you were spying on him any clearer, Travis. _I scolded myself. I regained my composure and added in a steadier voice, "Annabeth was wondering where you were, so she asked me to check on the cabin. Looking through the window would've been much quicker than entering the cabin…" _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. _

"Oh really?" Percy chuckled, but the laugh was sour and cold. He didn't buy a single word of my lies; he saw right through my façade. "And why do you seem so wound up? Obviously if you were truly checking on me as an assignment from Annabeth you would've been more relaxed."

"She did ask me to check on you!" I defended myself, trying to convince myself that the lie was true. Luke Castellan, one of the most notorious thieves and liars and once my idol, always said, "If you believe that the own lie you're telling is true, than the person you're lying to is more likely to buy it." _Annabeth just sent you to check up on Percy. She was worried about him after his short disappearance earlier that morning, so she assigned you for the job. _I told myself over and over until the words had no meaning.

"Is that so? If Annabeth sent you to check up on me, then why was a just talking to her just a moment ago?" Percy asked me coldly. Shit. I was screwed…and dead. So very, very dead. I should say goodbye to the Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, shorts, shoes, and underwear I was currently wearing, because all the toilet water that they were going to be exposed to was going to give them a permanent restroom smell. Gross.

"Uh…I…um…" I stuttered. I did the only rational thing; I ran. I didn't look back, for fear that Percy would be right behind me, but I didn't hear any footsteps as I barreled through camp and into the forest until I believed I was a safe distance away from the son of Poseidon. When I finally stopped and turned I was thankful to see that Percy had not wasted his time to chase me down, but I knew that I'd better watch my back in the future. I knew I was going to pay the consequences for trying to eavesdrop. In my mind I knew that I would never try that again, but a part of me thought, _What is he keeping from us that he wants to conceal so badly? Why had he been in the back of Cabin Three at the exact time you were? He may not be there if you re-visit tomorrow…_

My curiosity got the best of me. Tomorrow I would try to spy on the son of Poseidon again, and this time I would be successful. I didn't believe that if you failed a mission you still got paid. You had to earn your drachmas, even if it meant taking risks. As I slowly raveled back to the Hermes cabin, something nagged in the back of my mind. I hadn't heard Percy coming. He either had been waiting for me or he had simply materialized out of thin air. Either choice meant that he was up to something, and I was going to find out what if it was the last thing I did.


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N) Heating up, isn't it!? :D**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT I repeat DO NOT own PJO**

**Travis POV**

I opened the door of the Hermes cabin and it opened with a slight creak. I tensed all over and looked back at the bunks, where my sleeping half-brothers and sisters lay dormant. There were also a few unclaimed campers, but they had only been here for a few days; it wasn't hectically crowded like before Percy defeated Kronos. I breathed deeply in order to calm my racing heart. Blood roared in my ears and my skin tingled with the sensation of sneaking out at night.

I scanned the area for cleaning harpies that were keeping watch, but the camp was as silent as a grave. I pulled my ski mask over my face and made sure that my brand-new knife was strapped to my belt. The thrill of discovery was causing adrenaline to rush through my body and make me even more hyperactive than I already was. I was going to find out what Percy was hiding, whether he liked it or not.

I silently padded around the back of the Hermes cabin and began picking my way towards the Poseidon cabin. Cabin three was only four cabins down and I slunk past the Hephaestus, Ares, and Apollo cabins without a sound. The cabin came into view and I chewed on my lip nervously. It seemed so sinister in the night, along with the fact that I knew some freaky stuff was going on in there, it was far from welcoming. When Percy was acting normally, it would've seemed hospitable at any time of any day.

I crept towards the son of the sea god's quarters, being aware of any stray twigs that would snap or leaves that would crackle. I reached the windows and flattened myself against the side, making myself invisible to whoever could be looking out. I collected myself. My heart was beating a mile a minute and my breaths were short and shallow. What is Percy just so happened to be looking out the window at the moment? He'd undoubtedly see me and then I'd be screwed, doomed to drown one way or another. The old Percy would have just made urinals blow up while I was using it or have the ocean swallow me up for a moment or two, but this new Percy was cold and ruthless; I didn't doubt that he would kill me if I was caught.

I closed my eyes and braced myself to run, just in case it was needed. Heck, it would totally be needed; after I spied on Percy, whether I got caught or not, I would still have to run like hell and get to my cabin before my cabin-mates noticed I was gone. Then, of course, there was the cleaning harpies. While I peeked through the window, I would have to keep one eye on the skies just in case one of them came into range.

With an unsteady breath, I peeked through the window. The lights were off and I didn't see any movement. I nearly sighed with relief. Percy was sleeping; just doing normal teenager stuff rather than being freaky-freaky evil dude. That's when I saw the sheets on Percy's bunk shift. The black-haired boy slipped out of bed and looked around. He didn't turn towards me, which I was thankful for. I quickly shrank back so only my left eye was peeking through the window.

_Why is he up during this time of night? _I thought in bewilderment. I knew that some people got restless during the night and had to take a few laps around the cabin before going back to bed, but Percy seemed to have no intention of sleeping again. That meant that I would have to take even more of a precaution. The slightest movement could alert him of my presence. He stretched and scratched the back of his neck. Normal dude stuff. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his legs, unaware of my presence.

That's when things began to get creepy. He took off his shirt, revealing a chiseled, tan back that was riddled with white scars from previous battles. His muscles were thick and corded, but they were hidden under soft skin. Percy still had his back to me and he slipped his pants off. I knew I was going red all over. He didn't think he was being spied on and he thought he could do whatever he wanted. Would he strip down and I'd have to see a demigodly groin this early in the morning? I sure hope not.

He stood there in black boxers for a little while and that's when I noticed something. I suppressed a gasp, looking at the huge gaping hole in his lower right leg. Percy didn't seem to be in any sort of pain at all and he moved swiftly and easily to go check the calendar that was hanging on the wall. What could he possibly be going to that would be scheduled for three a.m.? The gash was crusted with dried blood and I was pretty sure I saw the white gleam of his fibula in the light of the moon. My dinner threatened to spew up all over the place, but I choked it down. Then there was the oversized lump on the back of his neck. It moved and shifted as if it were something alive; a parasite of some sort.

Then it dawned on me; the parasitic worm monsters from Camp Jupiter. Percy had been playing capture the flag two days ago, and Reyna had said that people who had always been attacked had gotten quick treatment. They had never figured out what the long-term effects were if you left the creature inside your body. Apparently, the consequence was body-control. Oh God, if it was anything like the Shadow's Song, the Percy would be scarred too! Would he begin cackling manically or biting off his own fingers?

Percy, on the other hand, seemed to be level-headed and not at all crazy like Jason had been. He did seem aggressive, though, and that was the problem; he was even more aggressive than Jason had been in the later stages of the Shadow's Song. I had to alert the others before it was too late. Percy's soul could be dying inside…

That's when I looked up. Percy was standing at the window, staring at me. His were a deep read and glowed brightly in the dark. He regarded me for a moment and his pupils slit like a snake's. His face was slack, which only added to the effect, but the corners of his mouth eventually tilted up in a cold smile. Shivers raced up and down my spine and my heart slammed against my chest as if it wanted to break out and run away.

"I'm afraid, Travis," his voice was cold and not at all Percy-like, "that you already know too much. The secret will die along with you."

"Wha-?" All I could process was the gleam of metal and the sound of a gunshot before everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N) I am so sorry for the long time you waited; I couldn't update since I was at Disney! :D I got home yesterday and immediately began working on this for you guys. Thanks so much for the support! I know it was kind of a cliffhanger, and I am deeply sorry for that. I had no idea that Disney would be so long, but I still had a lot of fun. Here is my fun shared with you guys, even if this chapter isn't at all…fun. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. I do, however, own the plotline. I'm glad to say it: I OWN THE SHADOW'S SONG TRILOGY. I OWN THE PLOT AND THE DISEASES. **

**Jason POV**

I jolted awake to the sound of rapping on my door. "One second!" I gurgled and rolled out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I shambled over to the door and opened it, revealing a very panicked-looking blurry blob. I blinked a few times and the image sharpened to show a freaked Nico di Angelo. He looked me over for a moment and I realized that I was still in my boxers. My cheeks flushed a rosy red, but Nico didn't seem to mind. His eyes were wide with horror and fear.

"It's Travis." he managed and ran off to tell the other campers. The fog in my head cleared and my mind went into overdrive. Travis? What had happened? Then it dawned on me; we had sent him to spy on Percy because he had been acting strange. Had Percy done something to the son of Hermes? I sure hoped not; that would mean that something was definitely wrong with him, I just wasn't sure what. I threw on a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt as fast as I could and slipped on my shoes, dashing to the door and throwing it open.

Campers had already gathered in the clearing and were talking in hushed tones. Some were crying, others looked skeptical. I tried to pick out one of my friends in the crowd. Leo? Nico? Piper? Annabeth? Will? I couldn't see anyone in the mass of campers. Our numbers had swelled drastically since the war with the Giants, and it was usually beneficial, but not at this time. That's when four figures staggered from the woods, carrying something limp. The clearing fell silent and the feeling of death crept up on us like a shadow, threatening to claim our lives, too. Tingles raced up and down my spine as I stood rigid in front of Cabin One.

I recognized the four people who were carrying the body. There was Nico, Clarisse, Will, and Connor. They lay the limp form down on the grass and everyone immediately crowded it, whispering and spreading the news. I used the power of the air to launch myself into the sky and landed in the center of the circle, right next to the lifeless body. I immediately recognized it as Travis. Same tousled brown hair and lithe physique, but his skin was chalky and his eyes were closed. Blood spattered the front of his shirt and huge claw marks tore across his face, making it barely recognizable to those who hadn't known the son of Hermes for very long.

Connor was kneeling next to his fallen brother, crying into his hands. "I love you. I love you. I love you. Just please, Travis. Wake up. Wake up, _please_. Please. For me. I'm your brother. You promised to be there for me until the end! _You promised!_" he screamed. Katie stood nearby and there were tears streaming down her face. I felt my eyes becoming misty as well and I tried to blink back the tears, but to no prevail. Everyone was silent besides the sound of soft sobbing and shuffling feet

"What happened?" I finally managed to choke.

"Monster attack." Nico replied with a frown. His eyes were glassy, but it wasn't noticeable if you hadn't known him for as long as I had. I knew that he was on the edge, but was able to reel himself back in with his knowledge that Travis would certainly go to Elysium. He was experienced with death and was able to handle himself. Death was a normal occurrence in Nico di Angelo's life. In my heart there was a mixture of relief and sadness. Sadness, of course, because of Travis' death, but relieved that it hadn't been Percy who had killed him. Then I felt guilty that I was feeling that way; this was a time of mourning, not relief.

"Why was he out in the woods at night? He knows that's dangerous _and _against the rules!" Connor cried, trying to pull himself together. "WHY DID MY BROTHER HAVE TO BE SUCH AN _IDIOT!?" _He broke down and Will gently led him to the Big House for some depression medication.

"I think it's more than that." the son of Hades said suddenly. He walked over to Travis' body and lifted up his mangled shirt. Everyone sucked in a breath as he hacked it off with his Stygian Iron sword, revealing a horribly mangled wound in the chest. I nearly threw up, along with other campers whose faces tinged green, but, unlike them, I was able to choke back my vomit. They weren't so lucky. At first sight the wound seemed like your average monster bite/claw marks. That's when you realized that all of the thin cuts seemed to circle around this small hole in his chest that was barely noticeable. _Oh no. _

Nico grit his teeth and reached deep into the wound, causing several other campers to throw up. He drew back his hand, holding a bullet. Silence settled over the campers. Travis had not been attacked by a monster, he had been murdered. I looked at him once more and realized that the supposed claw marks on his face looked more like knife slashes; they were too cleanly cut to be from the claws of a monster. The thought that Travis had been killed by a camper sent shivers racing up and down my spine, which also could be the reason why I didn't notice that the wounds were knife slashes; the thought was so far-fetched that I thought it was impossible. Clearly it was not.

Who could've done such a thing? Who hated Travis enough to murder him? Sure, he could be a little annoying at times, but to murder him was quite a feat. What could Travis possibly have done in order to get someone to grudge against him? All the questions rattled inside my skull like angry legion eagles.

Everyone looked around warily, as if anyone around them could be the murderer. I scanned the crowd not for who was here, but who was missing. The murderer knew that it would be suicide to appear at the discovery of the body of the person that they had killed. Not a single person was absent. That meant the murderer was among us. The only question was who did it.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N) OMG TWO UPDATES IN TWO DAYS I AM SO HAPPY. I needed to update before school started up again, so I decided that I'd work extra hard to get this one done. I apologize if it's dragging a little, but I promise it will get heated next chapter. I'm also sorry if it's too obvious that Percy is the murderer. I really suck at writing mysteries. **

**If you've read this far, I'd like you to slap that fav/follow button for this story. I love entertaining you guys and I think that, if you enjoy this story, you should check out some of my other stories. Geez, I sound like a self-advertiser, which I kind of am. Dang. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, but I do own the plotline and the diseases! I own the Shadow's Song trilogy!**

**Annabeth POV**

The majority of the councilor meeting was spent in silence. Weary eyes scanned each other and tired lines were etched into everyone's face. It had been three days since the discovery of Travis' death, and the camp was wound up as tight as a spring. His ceremony had been yesterday. We'd said our final goodbyes, wishing him the best of luck in Elysium, and set the Hermes shroud alight. Everyone had had tears in their eyes as the flames leapt into the night sky, flickering and swirling against the dark. The sparks had carried on the wind to an unknown destination. Hopefully Travis' soul was happy.

I held Percy's hand and he massaged my knuckles with his thumb, an affectionate gesture that sent thrills up and down my spine. Everyone's head was bent, their faces grim. Even Clarisse seemed a little mournful. Percy turned and our eyes met…well, my eyes met with tinted glasses. I still had no idea why he was wearing those; he couldn't hide his surgically altered eye color forever.

I'd gotten used to the glasses; they hid those hideous colors from my sight. His old green eyes were so beautiful every time he looked at me my heart melted. These red eyes only gave me the shivers. I knew that my Seaweed Brain wasn't telling the entire truth, only bits and pieces. I didn't push him, though; I was determined for this relationship to work out and in order for a relationship to work the pair had to trust one another. It was my duty to trust Percy, though that trust had been wavering as the days progressed.

What was he hiding behind that pirate smile and red eyes? What was truly going on? I was snapped out of my reveries as Chiron spoke up, "we have to find this murderer and punish them. It is the worst possible crime to murder a fellow camper." Was it just me or did Percy tense up a little? It was probably just my imagination; Percy and Travis were good friends. Percy didn't have a grudge against the son of Hermes before he died and would never kill him. Even if he had disliked Travis, Percy was gentle and heroic. It was against his nature and his fatal flaw to murder someone.

"What will the punishment be?" Clarisse asked, cracking her knuckles. "I think it should be an eye for an eye; the murderer should be executed. Publicly."

"That would just frighten the younger campers. Make them do what is right out of fear of being killed. That's not what this camp is about." Piper objected, placing her hands on the table and setting her jaw stubbornly.

"I agree with Piper. You can't fight fire with fire. And what if it was someone close to us?" Jason asked, his blue eye glinting in the candlelight. He looked healthier than he had been on his first day of recovery. I could not shake off the image of his skinny, pale frame that looked as if someone had stretched skin over a skeleton. That picture was glued to the back of my eyelids whenever I looked at the son of Jupiter. The noticeable changes, such as the eye patch, the scars, and the fairly shorter hair didn't seem like such a big deal. But what really affected everyone was his change in personality.

He still retained all of his Jason-like qualities, but he had become rather skittish and still despised physical contact, as well as having this sort of melancholy aura that automatically made everyone want to help him. He insisted that he was fine, but his blue eyes were like shards of broken glass that could never be put together again.

_Dammit Jason. Do you really think that one of our friends killed Travis? _I thought sourly, but in my heart I knew that I was uneasy. Everyone was glancing around, as if the murderer was in this very room. Even Percy seemed a little rattled, but something told me that it wasn't because of the thought of the murderer being among us. Something was definitely wrong with my Seaweed Brain.

Chiron was speechless and his eyes raked the room uneasily. "I never thought of that, Jason, but maybe your…experience makes it easier for you to come to a conclusion." The son of Jupiter looked down and wrung his hands, mumbling a rather muffled thank you.

"I say we banish them." Everyone turned to Connor, whose cheeks were streaked with tears but his fists were clenched in rage. He had assumed the full position as the Hermes cabin counselor, rather than having two co-councilors; his co-counselor and brother had been murdered. He had been very detached lately, preferring to stay in his cabin and grieve rather than join in camp activities. No one blamed him, though; Travis' death had affected us all, but had affected Connor even more so.

"Banish them?" Leo echoed, his brow furrowing.

"We banish them from both camps, leaving them to get killed by monsters in the outside world. We aren't directly murdering them, but the monsters will get the job done if the demigod is powerful enough." Connor replied coldly. His eyes were glassy and merciless. "I want the murderer dead. I want the person strung up on a tree or burned to ashes in the campfire, but I know that that is not the path to take. Sometimes wisdom has to cut through vengeance. Banishment means that we leave them outside the barrier without any supplies. No swords. No food. No water. No nothing. Then let's see how they survive out in the real world with no weapons."

Everyone was silent. Nobody had ever seen this murderous, ruthless side of Connor before. Slowly, Chiron began to nod. "It is fair and just when it comes to punishing a murderer. It's settled; the murderer of Travis will be banished from the camps forever. They are destined to be killed by monsters. I hope whoever did this rots in the Fields of Punishment." Percy was squeezing my hand tightly, his hands trembling. This wasn't a good sign. Why was Percy so nervous about the punishment? It wasn't as if he had to worry about it…

-Ω-

"Why did you two bring me here?" I asked indignantly and crossed my arms over my chest. The torches burned low with purple fire in the Hades cabin. The empty bunks lined the walls, only one of them unmade. Nico and Jason stood in front of me, their faces grim.

"This is the discussion of the murderer. And Percy. He's been acting strange, hasn't he?" Jason ask, his tone stony. The fire from the torches cast dancing shadows across his face, making his icy blue eye stand out against the paleness of his skin. I nodded vigorously at his question. Percy had been acting a little odd. First the surgical eye alterations and then his nervousness at the councilor meeting. What was happening to my Seaweed Brain? I needed to find out. I needed to find out what was wrong so I could help him.

"And he also surgically altered his eye color to be red instead of green. At least, that's what he told me." I added. Nico and Jason exchanged a weary look.

"That explains the tinted glasses." I heard Nico mutter under his breath gruffly. He looked so deep in thought I would be surprised if he pulled out a pen and a notebook and began scrawling out all the details like a police officer at a crime scene. Then again, this entire camp technically was a crime scene.

"But why would he do that?" Jason asked in bewilderment, his eyebrows rising. I shrugged and he chewed on his lip. The tension was so thick in the air that I could almost smell it. I was glad that we were the only three people in the cabin. Luckily, nobody ventured into the Hades cabin besides Nico; the Hades cabin was considered unlucky at Camp Half-Blood, if you hadn't figured that out already.

"I think we need to get to the bottom of this case." I concluded, raking my gaze over the two boys. Unlike most people, they didn't flinch. They held my gaze boldly and nodded in agreement.

"I think that Percy's behavior and Travis' murder are somehow connected." Nico said in a gravelly voice. I gave him a look of utter shock and horror.

"Percy would _never _kill Travis!" I cried and nearly backhanded the son of Hades across the face. Nico was Percy's friend. Would he really suspect that he was the killer of poor Travis? He raised his hands in surrender, but his eye betrayed skepticism. I couldn't believe what eye was seeing. Even Jason seemed uneasy. Why would Percy, of all people, be the killer? If he was he was sure hiding it fairly well. I gave a little huff, "Fine, you two get cracking at the mystery of Travis' murder. I'll check out Percy. I'm his girlfriend and he never keeps secrets from me. I'll have a better chance than if you two tried to confront him." The Big Three boys nodded in agreement and with that we set out to get to the bottom of these mysterious occurrences. I had a feeling that I wasn't going to like what I found.


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N) Sorry about the long update, guys. I am so sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**?UNKNOWN POV?**

I stalked through the night, my footsteps not even making a sound on the earth. Most would've been alarmed, but it was quite natural in my eyes. I scanned my surroundings nonchalantly, my vision superior to others' in the dark. I would've enjoyed to show myself to other campers; pop my head through the window and delight in watching the horror on their faces. I abstained from it, though, since that would just ruin the plan.

I did intend to reveal myself to some and cause rumors to spread. Then I'd lead them on a wild goose chase to nowhere. Maybe if I caught some campers sneaking around at night I'd intentionally rustle the branches or step on a twig. With my stealth, I may just be able to get close enough to whisper, "I see you" in their ear, making it sound as creepy and phantom-like as possible. But now as not the time, for I had business to tend to.

I made my way into the forest silently, watching as the moonlight cast dancing blue-white shapes through the tree foliage. The sound of the crickets' droning chirping irritated me quite a bit and I found it rather difficult to concentrate on where I was headed. With a wave of my hand, the forest fell silent.

"That's better." I mused and smiled crookedly. I tightened the grip on my black cloak and pulled the hood over my head, concealing my face in shadow. I knew that there was a camp rule that you should never go into the forest alone, especially not at night, for that was when the monsters were most active. I disregarded the rules. Even so, they were not enforced very well; the cleaning harpies were no match for my superior power. I made them swear on the Styx to not tell a single soul of my whereabouts and wiped their memories for good measure. Oh the joys of being me.

I had never felt so much power coursing through my veins; pumping through my fingertips and pulling at my soul. It made my heart race with the adrenaline and my muscles quiver in anticipation. When I had accomplished a simple task that I am not going to tell you, for that would just ruin the fun, I had nearly staggered with the amount of strength that had slammed into me like a wave. _What is this feeling of power? Of this drive to fight? _I had never known this sort of intensity before. It was the first time in years that I had truly felt alive.

I made my way towards what is called Bunker 9, and passed the huge rock wall that could flip up silently. I saw the gleam of the metal lever that was hidden behind a cluster of ivy and smiled to myself and continued on. The trees looked like demons leaning towards me with grotesque faces of bark, clawing at me with claws made of branches and leaves that snagged at my shawl and clawed at my face.

From the thick foliage it was clear that this path had not been ventured down, probably forgotten as the generations progressed. Of course that old horse Chiron probably would remember if someone had mentioned it to him, but there was no one else who knew and therefore the memory remained dormant, and I intended it to stay that way. I took out a long black knife that I had stolen from the armory and began to hack away at the stray tree limbs, trying to keep the damage to a minimal; if anyone saw that a path had been cleared, they'd become curious and would be tempted to travel down it to see where it led to. The previous weapon, a sword made out of that…what do you call it…Celestial Bronze? Well it did not balance right anymore and the knife had simply called to me.

It had jagged edges and clearly hadn't called upon any other demigods, for it had been rusty with disuse. With a good soak in a vat of boiling water, it was as good as new. I finally emerged into a hidden clearing. The boughs of the trees were so close together that it was impossible to get through if you did not climb the trees first. There were gnarled thorn bushes everywhere and the ground was bare earth, devoid of all grass and flowers. A creature stood coiled in the center of the clearing, its slit pupils falling to rest on me.

"I'm sssso glad you made it. I was worried that you had forgotten." it said as it unraveled and to a staggering twenty feet in length. Its black tongue flicked in and out to taste the air, just in case anyone had followed me. The creature didn't seem alarmed, however, so it must've been clear to converse in private without any nosy ears overhearing our conversation. Its body was as thick as the marble columns supporting Cabin One and scales the color of swamp water overlapped across the soft skin, giving it impenetrable armor. The part of the eyes that was usually white was a dark yellow and its green irises protected a slit pupil.

The giant snake slithered over rather silently despite its size, coiling around my legs and up my torso so that it could look me in the eye. I could feel the corded, thick muscles under the surprisingly cold scales and how it could easily crush every bone in my body if it wanted to. However we were allies, acquaintances, even. It let me pull my arms from its coils and I stared directly into its reptilian eyes, my gaze unwavering.

"Good evening, Python." I greeted coolly and the snake, Python, bowed its head in acknowledgement. "I hope it was no trouble to get here in such short notice." The snake made a sound like a laugh that, despite my acquaintance with it, sent shivers racing up and down my spine.

"Oh it was nothing for me. I was concerned about you; if they, the camperssss, find out that you're converssssing with monssssterssss ssssuch as mysssself, they'll have your head on a ssssilver platter." it chuckled, which sounded very menacing and cold.

"I doubt they'll put two and two together; apparently I hold high authority and am well-respected amongst my demigod brethren." I reply with a wink. Even though most of the snake's body was circled on the ground beside me, the weight of even the small portion of it that was wrapped around me weakened my legs and made my muscles scream.

"You are certainly getting into character, my good friend." Python snickered. "You chosssse your hosssst well."

"Indeed. It was out of pure chance that he had simply wandered into the tunnel that I was residing it." I told him, my voice filled with humor. "I at least thought that I would get that son of Hephaestus that goes there every day to work, but I won myself a jackpot. Thank God that I made his flashlight batteries fail or else he may have seen me."

"Interessssting." Python hissed, his reptilian voice hinted with curiosity. "Doessss anyone know that Mr. Persssseussss Jacksssson is not acting himsssself lately?"

"Only a son of Hermes, but I took care of his sorry ass." We shared a cold laughter, but then my face hardened. "Though I assume that that nosy son of Jupiter and Perseus' girlfriend are suspecting something. They will probably begin to investigate."

"Then it is our pleassssure to lead them away from the truth." the monster replied.

"It most certainly is our pleasure." I replied; a cold, sinister, humorless smile slicing across my face like a crack in a sidewalk.


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N) Ooh! Cliffhanger! By the way, things are gonna get intense. I suck at writing mysteries and such, so I apologize beforehand if it's obvious who killed Travis. I'm also sorry if it's a little short.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Nico POV**

I felt the cool night air nip at my nose and cheeks, flushing them a soft red. It usually wasn't cold at Camp Half-Blood, but Chiron had wanted to lower the temperature to get into the holiday spirit. Of course, many campers had gone home already. Piper had intended to go back to her father for Christmas, and so had Annabeth. The murder had delayed Piper's trip, but Annabeth had canceled on her parents; she was too caught up in the mystery of Percy as well as Travis' unexplained murder.

I snuck around the cabins, careful not to make a sound. Even though the cleaning harpies thoroughly avoided me and would turn a blind eye if I was sneaking out at night, I knew that if I got on the radar of campers, they'd report me to Chiron. Then I'd be stuck cleaning dishes for the rest of the year. I knew that I was taking a risk; I hadn't told Jason or Annabeth of what I was about to do, and Travis had lost his life while trying to accomplish the same thing. I was going to spy on Perseus Jackson. That's not stalker-ish at all!

I was probably lighter on my feet than Travis and I had much more experience than him; I'd been to freaking Tartarus and back! Then again, Percy had, too. I was at a clear disadvantage; Percy could know I was coming before I was even aware that he was suspicious, and on top of that his sword fighting skills were superior to mine. If he wanted to kill me, he could have. Many times. He could have left me at the hands of Dr. Thorn the manticore, let me die in the Labyrinth, and left me in that bronze jar. There are many more, but I couldn't have possibly listed them all.

I had to admit, my heart was racing and beating so loudly I was afraid that the entire camp could hear it. Blood roared in my ears and my breaths were quick and shallow. I was afraid. So deathly afraid. My legs were like Jell-O and my eyes darted around warily, as if there was danger in every shadow.

_It's just Percy; he'd never hurt you. _I told myself. _Calm the hell down._

_But he may have killed Travis. He could be a murderer, waiting for you with a long knife with your name on it. _My pessimistic voice chided.

_Shut up. _I told it.

I was just a few yards away when I saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye. I whirled around and drew my sword, pulling it out of its sheathe and leveling it to the copse of trees where I saw the disturbance. My breathing was hard and I let out a low growl, like a wolf angered by one of its pack-mates. "Come out." I demanded in a loud whisper. "I know you're there." That's when two red eyes appeared in the darkness, blinking at staring unwaveringly at me. Their pupils slit, like a snake's, and then it was gone.

"Hey!" I spat in as loud of a voice as I dared. "Get back here!" And with the mission of spying on Percy forgotten, I took off after it. I raced silently through the trees, watching as the boughs rose up around me like ancient spires. I hissed in agitation and trained my ears to listen for footsteps or the padding of paws, but heard nothing. Had I just hallucinated? That's when I heard a grunt up ahead and the sound of snapping twigs as the thing tripped. Was it just me or did that grunt sound a little too human for my liking?

I felt myself gaining as I pushed myself into an even harder sprint. I needed to catch this thing, for it might have answers. Heck, maybe this monster was the one that killed Travis, not Percy. I knew I shouldn't be too hopeful, since Percy was still high on the list of suspects, but I still couldn't bring myself to believe that the gentle son of Poseidon had been the one to murder his own friend.

It wove through the trees, running in erratic zigzagging patterns in attempt to shake me off, but I was determined not to lose it. The problem was that I couldn't hear the sound of footsteps. Was it floating or flying? If so, why hadn't it taken to the sky already? Tingles raced up and down my spine as I thought about how unnatural it was; either this thing was flying/floating or it didn't make a sound as it walked. Either way it was probably a morbidly twisted monster that looked humanoid. I was horrified just thinking about it.

That's when we raced through a patch of moonlight. All I could catch was the flash of black hair, the form of a blurred human silhouette, and the gleam of bone towards the ground before it had disappeared to the other side. I forced myself to follow. It wasn't a monster I was chasing. It was a camper. A human being. That gleam of bone that I'd seen had been a human fibula; I knew enough about human skeleton structure and anatomy to know what the bone was and which animal it belonged to. I guess the ghosts were right when they said that the anatomy classes would benefit me in the future.

If they had a gash so deep that it showed bone, wouldn't they be limping? Or at least showing some sort of sign that they are in pain? All these questions rattled inside my skull as I continued to run. I tried to convince myself that it wasn't Percy.

_He was a centimeter taller than Percy._

_A lot of campers have black hair. _

_Besides, Percy wouldn't be able to run with a gash that deep. _

I knew that I was just trying to convince myself. I refused to admit that it was Percy sneaking soundlessly through the night, but the more I denied it the more it became evident that it was Percy that I was chasing. Did he really kill Travis? What had happened that made him do that? A grudge? A fight? Even though Travis had been spying on the son of Poseidon, it was overreacting if Percy shot and killed him out of anger. That would only make sense if Travis saw something that he wasn't supposed to see…

_Oh no. _I thought as I put a few of the pieces together. My legs screamed and my lungs burned like hellfire. My muscles wailed in protest as I tried to chase him even further, but I fell behind. My vision blurred, my throat was as dry as a desert, and my heart was racing faster than I thought was healthy. With I sigh of defeat I slowed and collapsed onto the ground, shuddering violently as I gasped for air. My palms were slick with sweat and my hand was slippery as I grasped the hilt of my sword. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

"Percy?" I whispered and slipped into a dreamless, as well as exhausted, sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N) Sorry about the long update, guys. I just started another PJO fanfiction. It's called Black Feathers and if you like this story you should really check it out! By the way, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope tomorrow you chow down on turkey and stuff yourself silly until you get diabetes. That, my friend, is what true happiness is. I'm sorry if the chapters are getting shorter and shorter but I need to keep you all in suspense. It will get better in the next chapter, I promise. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Jason POV**

"Nico!" I cried as I saw the teenager's crumpled form on the ground. I dropped my sword and ran to him. Search parties had been sent out all morning, looking for the missing son of Hades. Everyone had expected the worst; there were rumors floating around camp, whispers around the campfire as we gathered to discuss the search teams, campers talking in hushed tones as breakfast dragged on, all of them suspecting that Nico had suffered a similar fate to Travis.

I had refused to believe it. Nico was strong; he could handle any camper that pounced on him. If anything he was probably taking one of his usual strolls in the woods. I had volunteered to go searching on my own, and we had campers scouring every inch of the camp in search of Nico; whether he be alive and breathing or a body just as mangled as Travis'.

"Nico!" I repeated and shook him violently. His eyes fluttered open and he groaned, rubbing his head.

"I'm so tired…" he mumbled, his words so blurred together with exhaustion that I nearly couldn't decipher them.

"You made everyone worried sick. We have search parties looking all over for you." I replied icily. "What were you doing out here? Were you even thinking that a monster just might lumber over and make a meal out of you if you fell asleep right in the middle of the woods?"

"I was getting to that." the son of Hades growled and hauled himself into a sitting position. His clothes were crinkled and tattered in some places, covered in grime from sleeping on the forest floor all night. "I admit that I was going to spy on Percy-"

"Nico!" I hissed. "After what happened to Travis you were going to just put yourself in danger like that? You know that Percy is one of the top suspects-"

Nico cut me off, "But then I saw someone. I chased them through the forest and I swear to the gods that it was Percy. He was so uncharacteristically agile and swift. Then I saw the gaping hole in the back of one of his legs, and I'm talking a huge gash; I could see his fibula. But the thing that was bothering me was the fact that he didn't seem in any sort of pain; _he was running faster than I was_."

"Are you sure you're alright? You might've bumped your head." I said, the worry evident in my voice. Had my friend gone insane? He knew that nobody with an injury that severe could even stand, let alone run.

"I know what I saw. It was Percy. He was-"

"I was what?" Nico and I whirled around to see Percy, his tinted glasses reflecting the limited sunlight that filtered through the overhead foliage. He tilted his head. "I'm glad to see that you're well, Nico."

"You knew I was well! You were there!" the son of Hades snarled and scrambled to his feet, drawing his Stygian sword. I plucked my sword off the ground, clutching it tightly in my hand to the point where my knuckles were white. Percy put a hand over his heart, feigning hurt.

"What a rude accusation, Mr. di Angelo." he said, faux upset tinging his voice. "I was merely saying that I was glad to see that you were okay."

"The real Percy would never call me Mr. di Angelo, on top of the fact that Percy is too dumb to know what the word 'merely' means." I growled.

"Are you mocking me?" Percy asked, but his voice was no longer amused. It was cold, like a sharp knife that had been left outside overnight.

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Percy?" Nico bellowed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." the son of Poseidon snorted, his irritation clearly showing. He pursed his lips and set his jaw stubbornly, which seemed like an all too Percy-like thing to do. But this wasn't Percy; this was some sort of demon wearing Percy's face like a mask. I forced the thought of Shadow out of my mind and my hand instinctively went to my eye patch.

"What is Percy's favorite color?" Nico asked with narrowed eyes.

"Why are you talking about me as if I am not here? I am Percy. Perseus Jackson. My favorite color is blue. I had a rotten stepfather named Gabe Ugliano who I nicknamed 'Smelly Gabe.' My least favorite color is red, my worst fear is muskeg, and I have a loving girlfriend named Annabeth Chase, whose father knows how to fly a Sopwith Camel." he roared. "If you think I am not the real Percy, then fight me. If I am the real Percy I will fight better than you, and you know it. I would launch myself at you right now, Mr. Jason Grace, but I don't fight cripples." And with that, he was gone.

I crumbled to my knees, burying my face into my hands and crying silently. I felt Nico's hand on me, but I shouldered it off. "Why would Percy say that? It's like he doesn't care." My voice was shaking, Nico knelt down beside me and looked me straight in the eyes…well, eye. They were full of hard determination.

"That wasn't Percy. We're going to get to the bottom of this, I promise."

"And how will we do that?" I sniffed and wiped the last of the tears from my eye.

"We're going to interrogate him tomorrow. But right now we have to get back to camp. Mind you the other campers still think I'm dead."


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N) Shortest. Update. Ever. I'm trying to squeeze in as much chapters as possible before I go away later for Thanksgiving. I really want to make you guys happy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Annabeth POV**

"Nice sword." Jason looked at me, his eye glinting murderously. He knew I was teasing him, after all he had stolen the sword just in case he needed to defend himself. He picked it up and looked over the Celestial Bronze blade with a frown on his face. I saw that he wasn't holding it right; two of his fingers, most likely the fake ones, were out of place. It was like how someone may hold a pencil wrong, only that if you held a sword wrong it could cost you your life in battle. I had to admit, I was hesitant to let Jason get away with this. I could easily report it to Chiron and the sword would be confiscated. I knew that the poor guy was just trying to be normal again, but he had yet to learn that there are some things that don't go back to the way they were. He needed to understand that.

"You're holding it wrong." Nico butt in before I could say anything. He adjusted Jason's fingers so that they were gripping the hilt properly. The son of Jupiter's frown deepened but he didn't object. I studied his face for a moment and realizing that he was developing little crinkles in the skin whenever he moved his mouth. At first I thought they were smile lines, but at further inspection I realized with a wrench of the heart that they were, in fact, frown lines.

"Why steal it anyway?" I dared to ask. I could see Nico bite his lip and study Jason's face for a reaction, but the son of Jupiter remained poker-faced.

"I'll need all the protection I can get. Nico and I are interrogating Percy in a few moments." he replied icily. I immediately felt indignation building up inside of me. Why were they so set on picking apart my boyfriend? Couldn't they just leave him be? He had the right to keep secrets and he didn't have to spill all of his personal life to a lost cause. _But what if one of those secrets involves the murderer of Travis Stoll? _a voice in my head asked. I quickly swatted it away. Percy was innocent. I was sure of that. _How can you be so blind? _the voice demanded, but it remained silent after that.

"Then I'm coming with you. He'll be more likely to spill if I'm around." I insisted, placing both hands on the table and raking my gaze over the two boys.

"This could be dangerous, Annabeth. Life-threatening, even." I threw my hands up in the air at Nico's remark. I was sick and tired of being warned of danger. I'd uncovered the Athena Parthenos and defeated Arachne all by myself. I braved Tartarus and defeated Giants and titans. My life was dangerous just as it was, and more danger piled on top of that wouldn't make any difference.

"If this job is so dangerous, then Jason shouldn't come!" I regretted the words as soon as they left my lips. The son of Jupiter bent his head and placed the sword back on the table, his blue eye glassy with tears. The Jason before the Shadow's Song would've just laughed it off, but I had yet to keep reminding myself that this new Jason was like fragile glass; one misstep and he'll break into a million pieces. There were already visible cracks on the surface, but if you kept stressing them they'll eventually cause the glass to shatter. I was a horrible person.

"I guess you're right. I am useless. I'll just get in the way. You and Nico can go, and while you're at it can you return the sword for me?" he said in a quiet voice and left the Athena cabin, leaving the sword lying dejectedly on the table. The hurt in his voice had nearly made me crack and a wave of guilt crashed down on top of me, pulling me under. I touched the hilt of the sword, which was still warm from Jason's grip on it. I picked it up and looked at the door, which Jason had not bothered to close. I could see his blonde streak of hair making its way towards the Zeus cabin, and if I squinted I could see the slump of his shoulders and the hang of his head as he basked in his own shame.

"You shouldn't have said that." Nico growled. "We shouldn't have come here in the first place. We are a team, Jason and I. We were planning to crack this case together, and we thought it would be wise to seek your assistance, but apparently you'll just tear this entire mission apart. In fact, it was Jason's idea to come here; he trusted you and thought that you would offer a helping hand. Jason and I plan to crack this case, Annabeth, both of them. Jason was right; Travis' murder and Percy's personality change are somehow connected, and if you won't help us solve the case then we'll do it without you." With that, he stormed out of the cabin and broke into a sprint, calling after Jason and slamming the door behind him.

I sighed and massaged my temples. What was I going to do? A part of me wanted to crack the code; figure out who killed Travis and why Percy was acting so strange, but another part of me feared what I'd find out. What if Percy was the murderer? What would I do if or when he was exiled? What could I possibly do without my boyfriend, my one and only love? But then again I had to make it up to Jason for treating him like garbage. I couldn't live with the guilt of knowing I'd let the poor guy down after all he'd been through.

When it came down to it, Jason was the stronger one. My feats were nothing compared to his. Sure, I survived Tartarus, but that was when I had Percy. He had been trapped inside his own mind and tortured to the edge of insanity by the manifestation of a horrible disease, and he had to brave it alone. He had to survive with knowing that he was not who he used to be, that he was weaker and not capable of his usual feats. He had so much taken away from him and little reward in return.

If I had been him I would've taken my own life at this point, but Jason had managed to struggle through it, clinging to anything good that came about. I hadn't given credit to him, much like everyone else. He hadn't killed monsters or fought wars to get in the state he was in now, he had been infected with a disease that he allowed to take over his mind. Most would consider that weak, but the fact that he was able to survive made him strong in my eyes. I had to apologize.

-Ω-

"It's okay, I guess." Jason said softly, running a hand through his unkempt blonde hair. I wrung my hands behind my back. After much shed tears, shouting and screaming at Nico to make me leave, Jason had finally let me in so I could apologize. His eye and nose were still flushed pink from crying and his hands were trembling in his lap. His head was bent and his shoulders were hunched. He looked…defeated.

"I'll help you. I'll do anything to make it up to you. Heck, if it comes to the point where we have to torture the answers out of Percy, I will be there to assist you. Please, Jason, I know I don't deserve forgiveness and that you have every right to be angry at me for the rest of eternity, but all I'm asking is that you don't act like it." I pleaded. Jason nodded slowly and rose to his feet, gingerly taking the sword that I had in an outstretched hand. I had retrieved it from the table so he had something to defend himself with just in case things got physical with Percy, but I knew it was mostly because I felt bad that he was normally not allowed to be armed.

With a gesture to follow, he slipped out of the dark and gloomy Zeus cabin. I turned to follow when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to Nico, whose eyes were as cold as shards of ice. "You can get reborn and live one thousand lives and still never deserve the compassion of that boy." he growled lowly. He followed Jason out the door, leaving me stunned and rooted in place. Pretty soon, I followed with a shake of my head.

We marched to the Poseidon cabin side-by-side. People parted and watched with curious eyes as we paused in front of the door. A crowd slowly began to form behind us, like gathering shadows at sunset. They watched us, their interest evident by the sparkle in their eyes and the excited whispers passed among them. Nico raised his hand and rapped on the door, his jaw setting stubbornly. There was a pause and only silence remained, along with the sounds of crickets chirping, leaves rustling, and the distant call of a monster in the woods beyond.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, there was the sound of the door unlocking and it swung open, revealing Percy leaning in the doorway. His hair was tousled, his shoulders relaxed, and his sunglasses glinting in the light of the sun. "What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice filled with amusement. His attention averted to the excitedly whispering campers clustered behind us. "I see you've attracted quite a crowd."

"We need to talk." Jason replied flatly in a surprisingly chilly tone. I'd never heard him speak in such a way. He scanned the crowd with his critical blue eye. In a louder voice he added, "In private." There was a chorus of disappointed complaining that was silenced by an angry look from Nico.

"Sure. Come on in." Percy replied with a scowl and held the door open as the three of us entered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him give me an odd look as I passed, but I kept my eyes trained ahead. He closed the door and I was aware of him locking it from the inside. It was dark in Cabin three, very dark. Black curtains so long they touched the ground covered the windows and obscured all sunlight. I'd never seen them before, come to think of it. Normally my boyfriend preferred the tingling heat of the rays on his back and did his best to soak up as much sun as possible; it was unlike him to cover the windows. Percy usually suggested that we hang out on the beach or in the Athena cabin, but we had never gone to his cabin in the last few weeks or so. I had to admit, that was a little strange.

"So, what do you want?" he asked in a tone that seemed way too harsh for it to be coming from my Percy's mouth. He crossed his arms and a muscle in his jaw twitched with agitation.

"First of all, I can you remove the glasses? It's so dark in here I have no idea why you'd still want to wear them." Nico asked.

"I'd prefer not to." the son of Poseidon replied stubbornly, his voice holding a hint of deadly warning. Something was definitely wrong; that almost sounded like it had a hint of threat in the undertone. Why would Percy threaten Nico just because the son of Hades asked him to take his sunglasses off? He may not have wanted him to see his surgically altered eye color, but then again he should've thought situations like these before he did it.

"It was a rhetorical question." Jason spat. He waved his hand and there was a large gust of wind that sent Percy's sunglasses hurtling across the room. They twisted in midair and landed in Jason's outstretched hand, which the son of Jupiter then tossed behind his back. I had to admit, his wind powers were pretty cool and very beneficial. Percy turned to us and I saw the two boys sucked in a breath. I realized that his red eyes were glowing dimly in the dark, a property that I was almost positive didn't occur when you got your eye color surgically altered.

"How dare you." he snarled, his voice sounding rather feral. In an instant he unsheathed a horrible, jagged black sword that I had never seen him wield before. Nico, Jason, and I exchanged a look that clearly stated: _Where's Riptide?_ "That was very, very rude." the son of Poseidon snorted, though his voice was devoid of all humor. Jason made a low rumbling sound in his throat and I saw him tighten the grip on his sword. His fingers were out of place again and I knew that if, God forbid, it had to come to sword fighting, the first blow would send the sword clattering out of the son of Jupiter's hand. Nico was visibly trying to keep in control. His expression was a mask of indifference and the only way to tell that he was nervous was the shaking of his hands as he gripped the hilt of his Stygian Iron sword.

"Percy," I began in my most soothing and calming voice, "we just want to talk. Put down your weapon." My boyfriend made a hissing sound and lowered his sword, but still didn't put it down. It was good enough for me, but Jason and Nico still seemed a little wary. I tried again, this time rephrasing it, "I want _all of you _to put down your weapons. This is going to be a peaceful talk." To prove my point, I took my dragon-bone sword and let it fall to the ground, kicking it out of reach. I heard the sound of one sword, two swords clattering to the ground. "Percy-" But he was already on top of me. I let out a guttural screech as he drove the sword into the ground a centimeter away from my ear.

"I gave you a chance, but now you've sided with them. How can I be your boyfriend if you don't trust me?" he whispered coldly into my ear. Nico and Jason groped for their swords in the dark, calling to me and asking if I was alright. There was banging on the door as the campers outside began to suspect something was wrong.

"What's going on?"

"It's locked from the inside…"

"…can't break it down for some reason."

Their worried exchanges only made my heart race faster. Percy looked at me in the eyes and his pupils slit like a snake's. That's when I realized that Percy could be the murderer; sadly, it all made sense. I had been ignorant towards this new, vicious side of him, as the other campers had been as well. Nico and Jason had been the only one with suspicions and now we were fighting in his cabin.

"I'm sorry Percy." I murmured and brought my knee up to his groin. He let out a grunt of pain and that gave me just enough time to wriggle out from under him. It was not long, though, that Percy was on his feet again, his horrifying eyes gleaming with a terribly evil light. Tis was not Percy. This was a monster. _But what if Percy _is _the monster? _the voice that I had been trying to avoid talking to asked me. I ignored it as usual and found the hilt of my sword in the dark.

Nico and Jason were beside me as we circled around the son of Poseidon, whose sword was still buried deep into the floor in the spot that he had formerly pounced on me. He couldn't possibly beat us three to one, he was just Percy, and he was unarmed. That's when he raised his hand and his sword flew into it, shining a wicked red in the dim light emitted by his eyes.

"Trinity." he whispered, which I guessed was the sword's name, and the sword set ablaze with Greek fire. He waved it at us with a sinful pirate grin on his face, cracking across his normally beautiful features like a horrible scar. We retreated like scattered mice being scared by footsteps. I let out a growl of frustration, since he didn't let any of us get close; if we even took a step forward we found Percy's blazing blade leveled at our faces.

Jason was at a clear disadvantages out of all of us. Chiron should've trained him to fight with one eye; how to not let people sneak up on your blind spot and other techniques. But Chiron had been a fool, thinking that Jason would just stand off on the sidelines with the younger campers who could not fight if a war began. That was against Jason's nature, and he was more likely to get hurt than anyone else. I made a mental note that if I survived this I would start giving Jason training lessons, whether Chiron and Mr. D liked it or not.

"This is becoming quite boring. Let's ramp it up, shall we?" Percy said with cruel laughter fringing his voice. With that, he lunged and slammed the flat of the blade into Nico's chest. I heard the horrifying crack of ribs breaking as the force sent him crashing into the wall, where he slid to the ground, unmoving. Percy's agility, speed, force, and power were all incredible and surpassed that of everyone else. I had no idea how we were going to beat him.

"Nico!" I cried. That's when I turned to see Percy raising the hilt of his sword. There was a horrible pain as it connected with my skull and everything went black.

-Ω-

**Jason POV**

Now I usually would insist that I wasn't weak; that I was capable of holding out in a real battle, but now that the battle was actually happening I wasn't so sure. Both of my friends were knocked unconscious and I wasn't even sure if they were alive or dead or not. I was locked in a small, pitch-black cabin with a demonic psychopath that used to be my friend, the only light coming from the sword that he was holding that blazed with a fire that could potentially burn me to a crisp. Yeah. Fun.

On top of that, I was rusty with a sword and he was probably the best swordsman out of all the demigods. I had two missing fingers, couldn't hold a sword that didn't balance right properly, and one eye. He was the extremely physically fit savior of Olympus twice-over. 'Nuff said.

"You're odds aren't that great." Percy said with false pity, twirling the sword like a showoff.

"I can see that." I hissed through gritted teeth as we circled each other, nobody striking out at the other.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's dance, Sparky." he growled and leveled the sword at my throat. I swatted it away with my sword and forced myself to grin just as wickedly as him.

"Right back at you, Kelp Face." I growled in reply and all hell broke loose.


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N) I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving. I know that you guys hate cliffhangers, so I just had to come out with this next chapter. It's short, but there's a lot that goes on. Here's a Haiku from Apollo:**

**_Happy Thanksgiving_**

**_Hope you stuffed your freaking face_**

**_The turkey is dead_**

**As you can see I am not that good at making Haikus…ANYWAY on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PJO**

**Jason POV**

The first strike seemed to go in slow motion. Time slowed down as Percy's blade swung in a deadly arc towards me, the Stygian Iron engulfed by blazing Greek fire that swirled and crackled. I was rooted in place, so I raised my sword to defend myself. Metal rang out against metal and a jolt was sent through my arm as the impact nearly sent my sword clattering to the ground.

I only had enough time to regain my balance before Percy was on me again, fighting like a demon. His red eyes seemed to burn like fire and he bared his teeth like an animal as he attacked almost as savagely as one of Lupa's wolves. I could only dodge and parry, for the son of Poseidon left no room open for attack. Each blow sent my arms shaking like jelly and I felt myself becoming more and more tired.

Then I saw an opening and lashed out, my sword arcing towards his chest, but he blocked with inhuman speed that should've never been possible. I staggered back against the wall, my head swimming. How was this possible? What was happening? Percy snarled like a demon and launched himself at me, engaging me in a deadly dance. We parried, struck, blocked, dodged, and counterattacked as we circled each other. I was only barely able to keep up with Percy's excellent footwork and collected, powerful, coordinated blows. This dance was wickedly dangerous; the person who fumbled their maneuvers would end up as a human shish-kebob.

Percy grinned wickedly. "Not as good as you used to be, Grace." he snickered and slammed the flat of his blade into my side. I let out a scream but thankfully my ribs were only bruised, not broken. My side ached as if Frank had turned into an elephant and Irish step-danced all over it. I groaned and collapsed as the pain grew to the point that it was unbearable, already turning an ugly purple color. Percy leaned over me, his breath hot on my face.

"You're weak. I'm surprised you even had the slightest thought you could win against me." he growled, the fire of his blade, Trinity, casting dancing shadows across his face, making him seem all the more menacing. I leaned up, only barely able to ignore the horrifying pain that raced up my side as I did so.

I spat blood in his face and he staggered back, bellowing in outrage. He looked at me as he wiped the thick, sticky stuff out of his eyes, which burned with hatred. I grinned, knowing that the fact my teeth would be covered in blood would make a rather creepy effect.

"I wasn't _trying _to beat you!" I cackled, but soon after winced with pain. "I was just buying time." Percy scanned my face to tell if I was lying or not. His eyes bore a hole into me, but I managed to hold his gaze.

"For who?" he demanded

"Them." I replied and at that exact moment the door exploded and a torrent of campers stormed inside, waving swords and yelling battle cries. All I was able to decipher was the campers swarming Percy before everything went black.

-Ω-

I woke up more discombobulated than ever. My eyesight was terrible, shifting and tilting as if I was on a see-saw underwater. The dizziness was unparalleled and I nearly threw up over the side of the bed. I closed my eyes to get rid of the vertigo and collapsed back onto the pillow. My side ached and throbbed, demanding attention. I threw my arm over my face and groaned loudly. This was probably the worst way to wake up in the history of the world. I didn't think I'd be getting up anytime soon, so I just closed my eyes and slipped in and out of consciousness for the time being.

That's when I heard a door open and the sound of footsteps entering the room I was in. Slowly, my eyes fluttered open. The dizziness-inducing eyesight was gone, but the image was still blurry. I had to blink a few times before the picture of a blurry blob sharpened and turned into Will Solace. I managed a weak smile as he set a foot tray into my lap.

"Thanks man. How long was I out?" I croaked, amazed at how hoarse and gravelly my voice was.

"All day." Will replied vaguely, his face grave. Worry lines had etched into his face and there were defined shadows under his eyes. He looked as if he were running solely on coffee power.

"What do you mean by 'all day'?" I asked and picked at the delicious-looking pancakes in front of me. Afraid that Will would make me scarf it down, I began to take normal-sized bites, surprising myself when I began to gorge on them. I was so hungry I could've eaten a horse, though I didn't think Tempest would appreciate that. Speaking of which, I had been restricted to riding only when supervised, which was a complete bummer. They'd always tell me I was going to fast or too high, completely limiting everything there is to riding.

Pretty soon, I was done with the pancakes, finishing with a rather loud and rude burp. Will was just staring at me, astounded. Come to think of it, it was the first meal that I'd ever finished at my own will. The rest of the time people forced me to eat. It honestly felt good to know that my stomach was expanding, capable of holding more food than I was used to.

"So, how are the others?" I dared to question. The son of Apollo's face turned grave once more.

"Thankfully, Nico is up and running thanks to ambrosia, but Annabeth is…less so." he sighed and folded his hands in his lap as he sat at the edge of my bed. I struggled into a sitting position, nervousness gripping my heart. Was Annabeth okay? What could've happened that ambrosia couldn't fix? Will took a deep breath and continued. "Her skull…was cracked. Ambrosia wasn't working and everyone was panicking and panicking, running around screaming. It was…chaos."

"What then?" My voice was trembling just as much as my hands. My heart beat so loudly that I was afraid that Will would hear it and become all sympathetic with me. The blood roared in my ears and my mind was scattered like the pieces of a broken glass. What happened? Was Annabeth alright? Why was Will hesitating and drawing out the story? WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?

"She...she…didn't make it." My breath hitched and I felt my eyes fogging up. I wiped furiously at the tears, but they just kept coming. I wanted to believe that this was a joke; just some sick joke that everyone was playing on me, but I knew that Will, even being the jokester he is, would not kid about these kinds of situations. Annabeth was dead.

Still hopeful that it was just a prank or a dream, I asked, "What?" Will bit his lip and his face hardened in a way that I'd never seen it before.

"Perseus Jackson killed Annabeth Chase, his own girlfriend. His exile will be in three days' time."


	14. Chapter 14

**(A/N) Okay, okay, okay. I know you guys don't like character death, but please no hate! (*ahem* Matt *ahem*) Matt the Guest said that he'd stop reading now that Owl Girl was dead, and I say good riddance. You hated on one of my other stories and I wouldn't want a rude user such as yourself posting hateful comments on my story. I know you may be a troll that's just trying to make me angry, but I still cannot help but be appalled at the harsh words you said on my other fanfiction Fallen and then the apology that I am forced to deny now that your behavior is out of control. **

**On a happier/sadder note, I just realized that this story is coming to a near-close. I know that it is much shorter than its prequel, but this is because I didn't switch between Annabeth/Nico/Jason's POV and Percy's. You'll figure out why towards the end of this chapter, but don't worry; there are still a few, meaning less than five, chapters left for me to write. Then it's on with the third book in the trilogy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, I only own the plot!**

**Nico POV**

The burial for Annabeth was held only a few hours after Jason woke up. All the campers filed out of their cabins dressed in black and to the fire, where her closest friends, including me, uttered little eulogies that were difficult to get out without bursting into tears. The Athena cabin had made their counselor a beautiful shroud with incredibly detailed owls perched on olive branches, and they carefully covered the body with it, muttering goodbyes under their breaths.

I knew that the one person that Annabeth would want at her funeral was not present, for he had been the one to kill her. Perseus Jackson was pacing the cage that used to hold Jason when he was infected with the Shadow's Song. I was disgusted with the former hero that I had once had a crush on. Jason and I had dropped our cases, confirming that Percy had been the one to kill Travis and that his change in personality was just the sociopathic desires that all murderers had.

Leo walked over to Annabeth's covered body, whispered a quiet, "See you in the next life," and lit his fingertip aflame, lowering it onto the shroud. Not a word was spoken as the flames leapt into the sky, swirling and crackling brightly. It was as if a shining star had been snuffed out. She could have been happy. She could have lived a long, happy life with Percy or another demigod but it had bene the one that she had loved and trusted most that had killed her. They had braved Tartarus together, they had fought titans and Giants side-by-side, yet Percy had turned his back on her, backstabbing her in the worst way possible.

Nobody even dared to venture into the room where Percy's cage stood and the kid was practically starving in there. Everyone shot him furious glares if they walked by, which they rarely did, and people who were assigned to bring him food left it just out of reach to torture him. I bent my head as the sound of Annabeth's blazing fire filled my ears, easing my thoughts and helping me concentrate on just the grief. I'd been to many funerals and burial ceremonies, but this one had been a low blow. I'd lost one of my friends who was too close. Too young. Too gentle…well, at times.

The hour seemed to stretch to infinity and the crowd began to disperse, the campers trickling back to their cabins to change into camp clothes. I lingered for a few moments, watching as the flames leaped and swirled like a nimble dancer. I swore I saw the smiling face of Annabeth in the white-hot core of the flames, but I singled it out as just a mirage.

I padded to my cabin silently, laying low as to not attract attention. That's when I looked up and, perched on top of the Athena cabin, was Thanatos. His black wings shimmered in the light of the dying sun and he gave me a nonchalant wave before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. I looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed that, but everyone's head was down and their faces solemn.

I found myself walking past Cabin Thirteen, not bothering to change out of my black attire; nobody would be alarmed since that's what I usually wore. I climbed the Big House steps and slipped inside, seeing Chiron talking in hushed tones with Dionysus. "I'm here to see Percy." I told them firmly. The other times I'd asked if I could visit, they'd managed to convince me that I had other important things to do, but today all activities were cancelled due to give campers time to mourn.

"Are you-?"

I cut the centaur off, and rather rudely at that, "Yes, I am sure, Chiron. He needs to know what he has done." Chiron nodded and motioned towards the hallway that led to the spare room that Percy's cage was in. We had all hoped that we wouldn't need that cage anymore after Jason's recovery, but sadly that was not the case. The cage that held so many horrible memories was here to stay, and you couldn't help but notice the faded and irremovable stain that was Jason's dried blood on the metal floor. Would a stain of Percy's blood join it?

I unlocked the door and pushed it open, making sure my poker-face was on correctly. Percy had his back to me and sat crisscross applesauce, his shoulders slumped and his back hunched. I saw a food tray that was set on the floor only a few inches away from Percy's arm length. I didn't blame him that he was turned away from it; I wouldn't want to torture myself either.

"Perseus Jackson the murderer. I'd like to hear out your side of the story." I said flatly, my voice devoid of any emotion. The son of Poseidon turned his head to face me, his red eyes flashing angrily, then resumed his attention on the back wall of his cell. "Look at me." I ordered, yet Percy refused to be obedient. I looked at the plate of food that was still hot from the oven and picked it up, walking over so that my face was nearly pressed against the bars. "You want to talk?" I asked. "I have food." I intentionally tapped the edge of the plate against the bars. Percy seemed to straighten and that at least told me that I'd gotten his attention.

Perseus made a growling sound in the back of his throat, which sounded a lot like, "Go away." I guessed that that was a no. Even then, I persisted.

"You sure?" I questioned and wafted the scent over to him, tapping the plate against the bars once more to try and get him to open up.

"Are you _trying _to torment me?" Percy hissed like a snake, and just as coldly. He turned, his teeth grinding together out of frustration. He reached for the plate, but I held it out of his reach. "I guess you are." he grumbled, mostly to himself.

"You get food if you answer my questions. How long has it been since you've eaten? A few days at most?" I taunted and Percy's stomach growled loudly and insistently. The son of Poseidon gripped his abdomen and pursed his lips, but nodded.

"Fine. What do you want?" he snarled, his tone far from the friendly tone that I usually associated with Percy.

"Why did you kill your girlfriend?" I asked and eyed his hands, which were twitching with anticipation as if he were going to snatch the plate out of my hands. If he did that I'd have no leverage. Percy propped himself up against the back of the cage and I noted how deeply defined each and every bone in his body was. His cheek bones jutted out against the skin and every one of his ribs could be carefully counted.

"You were questioning me as if something was wrong. You drew your weapons, so I drew mine. It was a matter of defense, really." he snorted, even though he was well aware that I knew he was lying. "Now food, please."

"I was a witness. Why bother lying to my face when you know I'm never going to believe it. You don't get food until you tell the truth." Just to prove my point I popped one of the strips of bacon into my mouth and chewed melodramatically, swallowing loudly as I watched Percy's mouth water. His stomach let out another growl and the son of Poseidon moaned a little. I knew that this was inhumane, that I was, in fact, torturing Percy, but I needed answers, and I needed them now.

"I didn't appreciate how you thought I was not myself, how you kept mentioning 'the real Percy.' What if someone insisted that you were a phony and began throwing accusations?" I had to admit, he had a point. I handed him a strip of bacon through the bars and he devoured it eagerly.

"Next question; why didn't you stop that one night when I was following you? Why didn't you say that it was just you and you were simply sneaking around like I was?" I asked.

"You were stalking me. What would you expect?" I handed him a quarter of a pancake, which he took so gingerly it might as well be the most fragile glass in the world of a bag of small gems. I watched him eat it slowly, relieved that he knew not to scarf it down or risk throwing it all up again.

"What's with that hole in your leg?" I interrogated, my voice deadly serious. The son of Poseidon quirked an eyebrow at this.

"What hole?" he asked, but I knew that he knew what I was talking about, he was just too stubborn to admit it. What had gotten into him?

"Show me the backs of your legs." I ordered. Percy stayed put, crossing his arms. I walked over to the garbage can and held the plate over it at a terrifying angle. Percy literally leap to his feet and pressed himself against the bars, reaching out to me with a very thin and frail-looking hand, a silent gesture that begged me not to do it. I tipped the plate some more and the food began to slip. A piece of bacon fell to its oblivion.

"No!" Percy cried and scrambled to his feet, turning around to face the wall in a position that people would normally stand in if a cop was to frisk them. I smirked and set the plate down, walking over for further examination. The hole in his leg was huge and showed bone, the flesh around it decaying a little to the point where I nearly threw up.

"How are you walking?" I growled and peered at the white gleam of his fibula that sent shivers up and down my spine. Percy only responded with a shaky shrug. He was trembling all over and his hands were quivering violently. "And what's that?" I asked, gesturing to the lumpy form on the back of his neck. Percy's hand immediately flew to cover it. He bit his lip and refused to answer and I was surprised that he would do so when the risk was missing yet another meal.

"Answer it and I give you the entire plate and stop interrogating you for good." I proposed and held the plate that was heaped with welcoming and provoking food up to the bars.

"PARASITEFROMCAMPJUPITER." Percy blurted so quickly that I could barely register it, but I got the gist as he snatched the plate out of my hands and began to gorge on it.

"Guards!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and Percy froze like a statue. He turned to me, his red eyes no longer panicked but rather seething with rage. He dropped the plate and it shattered on the floor, resounding throughout the Big House. I heard the yelling and the sound of pounding footsteps as demigods rushed to my aid. They had just reached the door when Percy flicked his wrist and it closed, the lock and hinges fusing into place so that it could neither be unlocked nor kicked down.

I gasped and stumbled backwards as Percy gripped the bars with both hands and, with what seemed like little or no effort, bent the bars and stepped out of the opening. He balled his hands into fists and grinned like the Cheshire cat, only without humor, only malice. Campers were banging on the door and screaming my name, but my voice wouldn't work. I took a step back as Percy jumped down from the slightly raised platform that the bars were attached to.

"It seems you have found out the secret." he chuckled without any sort of comicalness. "And, like Travis, it will die along with you. Do you have any idea what it is like to starve in a wretched human body for days on end? My kind has never had to endure such conditions. Perseus' spirit was so strong that it took most of my energy to shove him down again, and even now he fights like no other, Splitting headaches all the time. Only now that I-we- are half-starved, it has lulled Perseus into dormancy, just how it should be. Thanks for the idea, by the way."

"Screw you. Get out of his body." I spat and braced myself against the door. To the campers who were panicking on the other side, I shouted, "Percy isn't Percy. Don't trust him! It's the parasite from Camp Jupiter that's talking and wearing his skin like a costume, not him!" There was a chorus of gasps and the panic became even more so.

Not-Percy stalked towards me like a big cat that was ready to pounce on his prey. Trinity had been confiscated and melted down for scrap metal, leaving him weaponless, but I knew that after he bent the bars like that and fused the door shut with only a wave of his hand, I was still at a large disadvantage. "Time's up, Death Boy." And with that, he charged


	15. Chapter 15

**(A/N) Sorry about the long update…and the cliffhanger. JK I'm not ****_that _****sorry about the cliffhanger. I should probably stop talking now before a horde of you comes crashing through the door screaming for my blood. That may have been a little dramatic, but I know you want to strangle me through the computer. Well, ha! I am on the other side, sitting back and watching your reactions as I kill off your favorite characters MWAHAHAHA : D Sorry it's a little short.**

**_JUST TO REASSURE ALL OF YOU THERE WILL BE NO MORE MAJOR DEATHS FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. I DON'T WANT YOU GUYS TO STOP READING. I LOVE YOU ALL. PEACE!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

**Nico POV**

I was only barely able to roll out of the way as Percy lunged at me. He whirled around with such grace for a half-starved, possessed demigod that I wasn't even able to land a blow on him. He flicked his wrist and my sword was pried from my grasp, flying into his open hand as if it had a mind of its own. I gulped. Now I was weaponless and in a room with a demonic psychopath. Not good. He twirled the blade in his hand, testing its balance and weighing it. With a simple shrug he charged towards me.

I flipped over him and kicked his back with all of the force I could muster, startled when he didn't budge. Percy let out a grunt and swung my sword in a deadly arc towards me. Thankfully the arc was wide and I was able to leap out of the way before it sliced through the spot where I'd been standing. It was basically a game of cat and mouse. I couldn't dodge forever, and that's what Percy wanted. He was buying his time, wearing me down until I was too tired to escape.

I needed to disarm him if I was to survive, but he was so much swifter and taller than me. He had so much power and so much skill; even in this weakened state he was more likely to win than I was. I needed to boost my odds and take back my sword. I did the insane thing; I charged at him. He seemed taken off-guard and staggered as I slammed my shoulder into his chest.

My sword went flying from his grasp and time seemed to slow down. It spiraled and pin-wheeled in the air, going blade-over-hilt. My movements seemed as slow as Jell-O as I bunched my muscles and leapt, the flying blade only inches from my fingertips. That's when Percy grabbed my ankle in a death grip. I let out a yelp of surprise as he pulled me to the ground and kicked out at him. My foot connected with his knee and he grunted, letting go of my ankle and allowing me to try and crawl towards the sword, which lay on the ground only a few feet away.

"Not so fast, Death Boy!" Percy cackled and grabbed me. I shrieked and we rolled on the ground, raining punches upon one another. His fist connected with my jaw and a blazing pain shot through my skull. I thought it was broken, but it dulled into a painful throbbing. That would leave a horrible bruise later on…if I survived. I bashed my elbow into his neck and he gasped for air, his sides heaving as he tried to shake me off.

He kneed me in a certain tender area and I let out a masculine and heroic squeak and rolled off of him. I didn't think I would be able to have children anymore. He took my time of utter pain to stumble towards the fallen sword, but I wasn't giving up that easily. I staggered to my feet and leapt on top of him, clawing at any exposed flesh like a rabid animal. I reached for the sword and felt the smooth leather grip in my hands before rolling to my feet.

Percy managed to get up and I nearly took a step back at the pure rage in his expression. He was breathing hard, like a buffalo that was about to charge, and there was a long cut along his cheekbone that oozed blood down his face. With his furious expression, he looked like a psychotic killer, which he technically was. "Get out of Percy's body." I growled at him.

"Make me." he snarled back menacingly and leapt into the air with inhuman ability. I yelped in astonishment and managed to sidestep just in time. The floor cracked as he landed, crouching and hissing like a snake. Come to think of it, it had sounded all too reptile-like for a human to create, even if they were he host for a parasite. What was going on? As I drew my sword, the impossible happened. Percy began to morph and change, his face elongating and his red eyes turning a cold emerald green, along with his sclera which turned a deep yellow. Scales grew all over his body and his arms and legs melted into his skin. Long fangs sprouted from his mouth and a black forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth.

Before me was no longer Percy Jackson, but a huge snake, its cold eyes staring at me, unblinking. It seemed to grin as I staggered back, the scream in my head failing to reach my mouth. It slithered around me so that its body was coiled around the room several times, trapping me in the middle. It regarded me with amusement and tilted its head to the side. I leveled my sword at its head, but it was dipping as my sweaty hand trembled and shook.

"What are you?" I growled lowly to mask the fear in my voice. "Why are you here instead of Percy?" The snake hissed with distaste and circled around me, its thick body dragging across the ground soundlessly.

"I have fesssstered enough in thissss rotten camp. Sssstarving wassss not part of the plan. I am Python, former Oracle of Delphi. I am here to reclaim my title from that wretched mortal girl." the monster, Python, said coldly and menacingly. Its voice was like a song, a deadly, swaying, smooth song that enticed people the take a step closer. A step that would end their lives.

"What do you mean by plan?" I snapped and jabbed at the snake to keep it at bay, which only made it let out a hiss of laughter. "What have you done with Percy?"

"Oh, the young boy Persssseussss. He sssshould be halfway acrossss the Canadian border by now." it chuckled humorlessly.

"Stop being vague. I'm not afraid of you." even as I said it, my voice wavered. This was the mighty Python, the snake that had had the ability to tell the future and foretell prophecies before he was slain by Apollo. Apparently his essence had risen from Tartarus and he was back for vengeance. How was I supposed to beat a snake that was nearly older than time itself? And on top of that, I was surrounded by his thick coils; trapped inside the room. He had scales like armor and muscles so powerful they could break bones with a single squeeze. I hoped that he was weaker due to the lack of food, but I wasn't getting too hopeful.

"Ccccertainly you are. Otherwisssse you would've attacked by now. Perccccy is now to be reffered to as Exodussss." Python sneered.

"Exodus…?"

"Like from the Bible or the Torah. He issss not to be named, and therefore hissss identity will remain a ssssecret. Better go find him before he ssssacrifices himssssself to the Greater Power, and then he will risssse, unleasssshing chaossss around the world. I will be by Exodussss' sssside when he finally killssss a godling of worthy sssstatussss. Then I will reclaim my rightful position assss Oracle. Too bad you'll never get there in time."

And with that, he was gone. As if he had never been there in the first place. I blinked once. Twice. But I was in the room alone, with only the bent bars and cracks in the floor to show that an event had ever taken place. How could a monster that big just disappear like that? But I had a job to do. Time to find our Seaweed Brain and get him back to normal…without having him commit suicide to sacrifice himself to the 'Greater Power' in the process. I had some work to do.


	16. Chapter 16

I am so sorry, guys. This is probably the worst thing that has happened before; my computer FREAKING BROKE and now I can't update any of my stories. It has happened before where I accidentally dropped it like the stupid klutz I am and the battery came out. We put it back in and now it won't start. We checked everything, and the only hing that lights up is that connection thingy that glows green/blue when you have a connection and red when you don't; that just glows red and the screen goes black, unable to start. If anyone has any clue how to fix it without bringing it to the tech guys, then review please. I don't want to leave you guys hanging for too long. I am currently writing this from my iPad mini and I can't possible write an entire chapter like this. It may take a really long time to update, so this may be the last time I post something until i can get my computer fixed. I love you all! Peace and pizza!

-iwovepizza


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, I know that this didn't take long, but you can thank the tech guy at Best Buy. I took it in two days ago, and now it's as good as knew. The reason it was broken is that my type of computer, HP, does thing like that; many people have had their computer do that when the battery comes out, so I have to take extra precaution when carrying it. I am hoping that I can get a new one that isn't as fragile as this one, but it will have to do for now. All I have to do is actually write the next chapter to this story and we're all good. Expect updates today. Again, sorry for the inconvenience. **

**-Iwovepizza**


	18. Chapter 18

**(A/N) Sorry that this update is a little late; I was too busy watching Doctor Who on Netflix all night. There's also another reason. **

**_I HAVE EXTREME WRITER'S BLOCK AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO NEXT, SO I'M SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER DRAGS A LITTLE. I NEED IDEAS. PLEASE REVIEW! THE BEST IDEA WINS. _**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot, nothing else.**

**Exodus POV**

I adjusted my hood and sunglasses to make sure they were in the right position. A sinister smile sliced across my face and I cracked my knuckles, ready to begin the mission. Python was by my side, tasting the air with his black forked tongue just in case we were being watched or followed. His cold, slit pupils regarded the tunnel before him with a dark delight. If this plan went the way we rehearsed it, then the Greater Power would be alive in no time. I was glad that Python had told the son of Hades that I was over the Canadian border; the fools would just get sidetracked even more.

"Thissss issss assss far assss I go." the huge snake hissed and stopped where the Caldecott Tunnel opened up into Camp Jupiter. The valley spread out before us, the grass shimmering in the light of the dying sun. The Little Tiber snaked around the camp and the water sparkled and gurgled. Pretty soon the grass would be nothing more than ashes and the Tiber would be reduced to a dusty river bottom. The thought made me grin. "Best of luck, Exodussss." Python told me and I gave him a nod of acknowledgement, taking off down the hill.

I sprinted towards New Rome, where a senate meeting should've been in motion. I was just about to cross the Pomeranian Line when Terminus sprung up, still lacking arms as always. "Oh! Mr. Perseus Jackson, what a surprise!" he exclaimed happily. "You feel that? I'm shaking your hand." I internally groaned; I didn't want anything to slow me down at the moment. The Senate meeting was going to be over by the time this stupid god of borders is finished talking to me. Nevertheless I stayed patient and polite, though in my head I was spouting curses at him. Behind my sunglasses I rolled my eyes, but I did manage a forced smile. I hope it didn't look too fake. "It's been a long time! How are things at the Greek camp? Praetor Reyna and Praetor Frank are very worried; they haven't had word from you in several weeks. Is everything alright?" Terminus' voice took on a very worried tone. "Monsters? Giants? Titans? May the gods forbid."

"No, no. Everything is just fine." I assured him and shoved my hands deep into my pockets.

"Well, if you wish to enter the city, you'll have to give me that sword you have by your hip." Terminus told me. "Julia?" The little girl came bounding out from behind the statue, holding her tray. I grit my teeth together; I needed Trinity if I was to carry out this plan, and I wouldn't let any god take it away from me. I snapped my fingers.

"I don't have a sword." I replied slyly. Julia and Terminus blinked. The little girl disappeared behind the statue once more to put her tray away, her eyes glazing.

"Why, of course you don't." Terminus replied in a rather monotone voice. "Carry on, please."

"Why thank you, Terminus." I snickered and walked past him. The streets were milling with people, their ages varying from kid to young adult to middle-aged to elder. The aroma of food wafted from shops and stores and I was tempted to take a look around, but I had to stay on task. I couldn't let my host's ADHD to get to me. The pedestrians cast wary glances at me as I walked past, eyeing my hood and my sunglasses suspiciously. I probably did look like an inner city mobster, but I ignored their questioning gazes and continued towards the senate house.

_I shouldn't bother to hide what's going on. _I snorted to myself. As I rounded the corner I came face-to-face with the senators all stumbling out of the Senate House in loose-fitting and annoying togas. Dammit I missed the meeting. It would've been much more dramatic to watch the puny Romans stare in shock and horror as I told them what was truly happening at Camp Half-Blood. Besides, it would've been easier than announcing it to the public as well. If it had just been those idiots that Perseus had known, then it would have been a much better opportunity. But I would just have to make do with this, then. All I needed to do was find one of the Praetors, both of them if I was lucky.

That's when I saw Frank and Reyna emerging from the Senate House, talking in hushed tones with one another. I strode over beside them and waited for them to notice me. Reyna stole a glance away from Frank and gasped as I gave a little wave that would be Percy-like. Dammit it was really hard acting like this demigod. He had so many emotions and expressions that I couldn't figure out how to do, and his personality in general was just all over the place.

"Percy!" Reyna cried and threw her arms around me. I staggered at the weight of her armor, but managed to retain my balance.

"Hey…" Did Percy have a nickname for Reyna? Because this was starting to get pretty annoying; I had no idea what was going on in this kid's life it was as if I was a stranger, even if I was inhabiting his body. I decided to play it safe. "…Reyna."

"How's it going, Perce?" Frank chuckled and clapped me on the back. I smiled and chuckled tightly as I stumbled a bit, but it probably looked more like a grimace. "It's been a long time. We were just discussing what could have happened at Camp Half-Blood? Is everything okay?" At this I set my jaw and grit my teeth together as if it was grave, which wasn't hard. I guess I was getting more used to this body each day.

"That's why I came here." I replied lowly. I looked around warily just for dramatic effect. "Can we discuss this in private?" Looks of horror passed across the two Praetors' faces and they exchanged anxious glances, but they nodded. Frank gestured for us to follow and we walked around to the back of the Senate House. There were walls on three sides, and the opening was facing away from pedestrian traffic. Perfect.

"The parasites that you sent us…" I trailed off just to make them nervous. My face was grave and solemn on the outside, but on the inside I was grinning from ear to ear. They were plying right into my outstretched hands.

"What about them? What happened?" Frank asked nervously, his voice wavering. Reyna seemed anxious as well, for her poker-face didn't hide the fact that she was wringing her hands together.

"Well a camper…we released the parasites into the forest, and you know how we have capture the flag there, right?" The two Praetors nodded. "We were playing there, and it was as dark as hell at night. A camper wandered into Bunker 9 for a place to hide the flag and then the following days he began acting strange. Wearing sunglasses. Cutting himself off from everyone else. There was a huge hole in his calf that showed bone, yet he hid it and walked around normally as if it didn't bother him. There was a lump on the back of his neck and two campers were murdered. They captured him, but he escaped off into the world. They're trying to find him right now."

"And who would that camper be?" Reyna's voice was trembling. I grinned wickedly and the two staggered back as I took off my glasses.

"Me. Get ready for a dark age, Romans. An age darker than death itself."


	19. Chapter 19

**(A/N) Hello everyone! Sorry about the long update! Writer's block. That's all I can say.**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Rick? No. Therefore I do not own the PJO series. But I do look like me, and therefore I OWN THE PLOT.**

**Jason POV**

"It's worth a shot, wouldn't you agree?" I asked the camp counselors that had gathered around the Ping-Pong table. Chiron had immediately called a counselor gathering after a desperate message from Camp Jupiter arrived; Percy was sighted with the praetors and now both Frank and Reyna had gone missing. Everyone was frantic; the camp couldn't function without their praetors, and some think that Camp Half-Blood was behind it, even without Octavian egging them on. "Maybe she'll have the answer." Nico seemed a little skeptical and he bit his lip.

"I don't think Agamede can help; we don't need a cure for a disease, just a way to get Exodus out of Percy." he replied sullenly. That's when Leo piped up.

"That lady has a huge book full of all kinds of potions and stuff. Why not have a potion that kills a parasite?" he questioned with a grin. "At least we can Iris-message her to find out." Everyone paused.

"Wait…why didn't you just Iris-message her during Jason's…dilemma?" Clarisse scoffed and crossed her arms. "It would've saved a ton of time."

"Yeah, but you can't exchange items through an Iris-message, and you need to know their location in order to message them, or else you'll lose connection. Agamede's cave isn't really a part of Mammoth Caves. It's like the entrance is in it, but the cave is in another part of the world. Kind of like the Labyrinth, come to think of it." Piper explained to the hot-headed daughter of Ares.

"Like Jason said, it's worth a shot." Will told everyone. I gave him a thankful grin, glad to have the son of Apollo on my side. "If she doesn't know how to extract the parasite, which by the way the Apollo cabin found out was a Dragonborn Crawler, oh well. But there's always that chance that she does know."

"What is a Dragonborn Crawler exactly?" Butch from the Iris cabin inquired with a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Well according to our research in both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter's archives, there are many types of Dragonborn, but five main species. There are Dragonborn Crawlers, which is of course a parasite that delights in taking human hosts. There's a Dragonborn Hydra, which is a hydra that can shoot acid, water, ice, fire, and lightning but is very uncommon and usually dormant underground. Dragonborn Harpies, which are dragons with a woman's head and not birds, and, last but not least, Dragonborn."

"Dragonborn what? Dragonborn Specter? Dragonborn, I don't know, kangaroo?" Leo chuckled, receiving a glare from almost everyone else in the room. Will took in a sharp intake of breath.

"All Dragonborn are usually associated with assuming the identity of other things. Dragonborn Crawlers take over a host, Dragonborn Hydras can morph into non-magical animals such as cats and dogs, and Dragonborn Harpies can change into the elements such as air, rock, water, ice, and etcetera. But Dragonborn, well, he's the head honcho. He's not a species of monster, he's the monster that created all of them. A forgotten titan.

"Right now he's in a deep sleep off the coast of the Arctic Circle. He can turn into anything, from everyday objects to elements to animals to monsters to even your own friends. He's not tolerant to the cold, for he is cold-blooded, and where he is, he'll be asleep for eternity unless someone warms him up, which is impossible due to the fact that he is hundreds of feet below sea level. But if he wakes up…let's just say he makes Typhon seem like a toddler."

Everyone just stared, eyes wide and mouths gaping. How come we'd never heard of Dragonborn and his other subspecies? How come we never encountered them on any of our quests, especially to the ones in the Ancient Lands? They should've been flocking to the Argo II like flies to honey. Then why didn't they? Before anyone could object, Butch created an iris message, tossing a drachma inside and muttering the prayer-thing. As a son of Iris, he didn't need a stream of water to create an Iris-message.

He looked at me, waiting for me to tell the Iris message to show Agamede. I shook my head and pointed to Leo and Piper, for I had not been on the quest. I was too busy being tortured inside my own head. Great. Just great. Leo quickly filled in for me, "Show us Agamede in Mammoth Cave." The Iris-message shimmered as it tried to get in touch with the witch. An image shimmered into focus, revealing Agamede stroking her two-headed black cat and reading from her big book of potions that Piper, Leo, and Percy had described.

"Agamede!" Piper called and the witch looked up. Her face was still hidden by her shawl, a face that the questers had said they hadn't ever seen during their time with her.

"Child, you scared me half to death." she sounded like the classic old woman that you would walk across the street, but I was pretty sure that that "classic old lady" could go all badass-grandma and beat the living crap out of her opponents with some creepy-ass voodoo and stuff.

"Please excuse us, but we're the questers that had you brew a Dziki potion for us. I'm Piper and this is Leo, in case you have forgotten. Everyone around us is the other campers from that camp we were telling you about." Piper explained. The cat's two heads hissed in unison and it scampered away.

"Of course I remember you." replied Agamede. "How can I not?" She turned towards me. "And you must be Jason. I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thank you, ma'am." I had no idea where ma'am had come from, but it sounded right to call her that.

"Since you went through all this trouble to contact me, what can I do for you? And by the way, where is the young black-haired fellow…Percy?" the witch asked.

"That's what we need to talk about. Percy's been taken over by a watcha-ma-call-it…uh…Dragonborn Crawler." Leo told her, his smile melting away and being replaced by a solemn expression. Agamede was silent for a long time, probably contemplating on how to handle the news. "We were wondering if you knew how to get the Dragonborn Crawler out of our friend." Leo added.

"Oh." was the only thing Agamede said. After another long period of tense silence, she sighed. "I do know how to extract a Dragonborn Crawler from its host, and I can pass the information on to you. And you have no idea where Percy is?"

"No clue." all of us replied in unison.

"Well you'll need to catch him first. He'll probably be trying to awaken Dragonborn, his master, also known as the Greater Power to the Dragonborn subspecies, and will do anything in order to achieve that goal. With the immense power of the host that he's in, I don't doubt that he'll be able to do it." Everyone inhaled sharply, and Agamede continued, "You need to strap him down to a table, face down. He'll struggle and thrash like no other, so you'll be forced to either sedate him or, as you youngsters call it, 'knock him out.'

"After that you expose his neck, and you'll see a lumpy mass at the back of it. That's the parasite; it chose the neck because it can both control the brain and the nerves going down the spinal cord. There, you will quickly open up the back of the neck, revealing the Dragonborn Crawler. You cannot rip it out just yet! Do that and he'll rip up the brain and spinal nerves, and then your Percy will be long gone after you manage to wrestle the parasite out. You need to burn it with Greek fire first, I assure you that this will not harm Percy unless you misuse the fire, so that it releases hold on everything, and then you'll be able to get it out and smash it to smithereens. Give the demigod some ambrosia and he'll wake up with no memory of being a host at all."

There was silence. I had been scrawling all of this information down on a notepad, and now I knew how to extract Exodus from Percy. "Thank you, Agamede." I told her graciously. She raised her hand to cut through the message, but seemed to pause.

"Oh, and one more thing." Everyone stared at the witch expectantly. "Good luck to all of you." Then she was gone.


	20. Help!

I am SO SORRY, guys, for not updating. There isn't a problem with my computer. I don't have a busy schedule. All I can blame it on is one thing: WRITER'S BLOCK. I can't get any good ideas for some reason, and I don't want to give you guys crappy writing since you're all my beloved readers. I need your help: I need good, juicy story ideas. **You need to decide what's gonna happen, and even include an ending to the story!** I may put in my twists ad turns, but I truly need everyone's cooperation unless you guys want me to discontinue this story, which was supposed to be a trilogy! **Submit your story idea in he reviews. If there are major character deaths or you don't want anyone to see the ending, just PM me with the story idea.** The Shadow's Song trilogy is counting on you guys, and I may pull a few ideas from a few different ones submitted. PLEASE HELP!

-Iwovepizza


	21. Chapter 21

**(A/N) Thank you guys so much for all of the ideas! My brain gears have begun to spin again and I present you with this new chapter of Death's Darkness!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Exodus was breathing hard, clenching and unclenching his fists. He lay face down on his bed, burying his face into the covers in order to mask his groans of pain. In and out. In and out. That's what he was always taught so he could shove down resistant hosts. It wasn't working too well. He let out another guttural groan as pains racked his body and a monstrous headache split his skull. His jaw was clenched and his fingernails dug into his palms to the point where blood began to slowly trickle down.

Perseus didn't go quietly; once the son of Poseidon was aware that there was something invading his mind, he did everything in his willpower to get Exodus out, but to no prevail. He was now incredibly weak, but still very much alive inside Exodus' head, when he should have just faded away entirely. Exodus let out a stream of unflattering curses as Percy gave another wrench, struggling in the mental chains that bound him.

_STOP THRASHING! _he barked.

_Screw you. _Percy snapped and heaved against the barriers that Exodus had erected to restrain him. Exodus let a moan escape his lips as the agony consumed him. The first law of being a Dragonborn Crawler: never let your host become powerful enough to begin fighting. The problem was that Percy had already been strong to begin with, and he simply refused to fade away. In some aspects, Exodus admired the son of Poseidon's perseverance, but it was mostly an annoyance; he had to handle migraines 24/7 and could barely focus with Percy shouting and cursing at him.

_You'll never win, sea spawn. I am here to stay, you know, and I didn't go through all of this trouble of taking over just to succumb to you. _Exodus snorted.

_Well _I _won't succumb to you! _Percy hissed in reply.

_Just give up. It's not like you're going to regain control by sheer willpower. _the parasite scoffed and added silently, _Though you're doing a pretty damn good job of trying. _

_I will never EVER have you in my body! Get out. Get out! GET OUT! _Percy's voice rose into a harsh screech, causing Exodus' ears to ring with a shrilling pulse, even though his room was silent as a grave. He could feel the son of Poseidon's determination, but he could also feel his utter desire to just give up and lie in a heap of o the side. Exodus screwed his eyes shut and let out another puff as the splitting headache didn't cease.

_Stop struggling now! _he demanded, struggling to regain control. Percy fought back with an intensity that Exodus had never experienced in a host before. Frustrated, the Dragonborn crawler sought out Percy's small desire to stop struggling and give up and seized it, molding and contorting it, causing it to strengthen. Exodus began to coax the fear and willingness to relinquish his hold on his body out of the son of Poseidon, pulling it and pushing it to the breaking point. He hoped that it would work, because all of the other times he tried it didn't. Percy's thrashing became for effortful and Exodus could hear his labored breathing.

Why wouldn't the little twerp understand that this was his body now? He had lay claim to it, and now he controlled it. What more was there to ask? Of course, Percy had been the one to slay Kronos and strike fear into the hearts of every monster. His name was in the stories that monsters told their children and in the myths that they whispered around campfires. Perseus Jackson was the phantom of the monster world, the demon in everyone's closet and under their beds. All the fiends and specters in Tartarus feared him more than death.

Of course, you couldn't describe how many people feared death, dreaded the unknown that may follow it. Was there another life? Was there simply…nothingness? However, monsters did regenerate over time, and most of them didn't even stay dead for more than a week, a month if the puny demigods were lucky. But that was the thing; why did the god spawn keep fighting when they knew monsters would always come back, more powerful than ever? Monsters don't die easily, whereas demigods, they remain all too mortal.

Exodus pondered this and allowed Percy to wear himself down. The pains began to lessen as the son of Poseidon tired; it took much more energy to resist against an invading parasite than it did to fight back a resilient host. His struggling became feebler, his demands to be set free turning more into pleads. Pretty soon Exodus could feel Percy collapsing from exhaustion, and with a mighty shove he crammed the son of Poseidon back into the depths of his prison.

Percy let out a forlorn whimper of agony that echoed throughout Exodus' skull; it was painful to be stuffed into the back of someone's head. His heart protested, but Exodus shoved Percy even farther, imagining his hands and feet bound by thick chains and his chest constricted by ropes, along with a gag around his mouth. The parasite could make out faint crying in the back of his mind, grief-stricken sobs that signaled Percy's surrender. Even so, Exodus knew his host would regain strength and begin to thrash and thrash again. Percy always came back, no matter how hard Exodus tried to make him disappear, no matter how voilently he shoved him back, Percy always returned.

Despite this, every time the son of Poseidon was back for more, he became weaker and weaker and weaker. Exodus hoped that in a few days he would be too weak to gather up the energy to start thrashing again.

_Why? _he heard his host whisper. Exodus internally groaned; the mental gag never lasted very long. _Please answer. _The parasite was surprised that it didn't sound like a demand. All it sounded like was a homesick boy; his voice was hollow and broken, full of submission.

_It's my duty. Now shut up. _Exodus spat, though it was rather half-hearted. _Can you crawl farther back into your prison if you can? _

_I can't. My hands are chained. _Percy replied quietly. There was a pause. _Are my friends safe? _

_What? _Exodus spluttered, astonished.

_My friends. Are they safe? _

_Um… _Exodus hesitated as he thought of Travis and Annabeth, their lifeless eyes staring into his soul. He shook the cold feeling off and concentrated on what Percy was saying. What was he doing? He shouldn't be conversing with his host! This was an embarrassment to the entirety of the Dragonborn crawlers!

_My girlfriend? How is she doing? Have you convinced her that you're me and are now dating her? Please tell me she's okay. _Percy pleaded. Exodus then hatched an idea, a very sinister one, at that, but it just might be enough to get Percy to give up entirely. It didn't even cost that much energy; all he had to do was tell the truth.

_They're dead. _the parasite growled, even though his soft heart was crying out in protest. He didn't want to break the son of Poseidon, but it had come to that. If he'd just relinquished control immediately, then he wouldn't have gotten into this situation. Percy's horror crashed into him like a wave.

_W-w-what?_

_They're dead. Travis and Annabeth. I killed them. _

_You're lying!_

_Try me._

_Tell me the truth! WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM!?_

_THEY'RE DEAD! _

_It's not true…_

_They're in the Underworld now. _

_Please tell me it's not true… _Percy bubbled into tears, his body racked by sobs. _You worked so hard to get to this point. _the son of Poseidon growled in between cries of mourning. _So I guess you deserve it! _With that, he was gone. Exodus felt around inside his head. Nothing. The headaches and pains had subsides, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness inside Exodus' mind. It was just him in his head and his head alone.

Exodus ought to be joyful, but he wasn't. For some reason the hollowness in his head was worse than any pain Percy had inflicted upon him.


	22. Chapter 22

**(A/N) HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Sorry if the time skip here bothers some of you, but the writer's block prevented me from writing the stuff in between. Besides, it would've been a monster attack here, an intimate moment about not giving up hope there. It would've dragged immensely.**

**Disclaimer: I do not town PJO**

**Nico POV**

I felt my way through the darkness, which spread before me like a gigantic black tarp. My only light was from the gleam of Jason's Imperial Gold sword as it shined dimly. Even so, it was not enough to see through the large expanse of nothingness that lay ahead. We were surrounded by stone on four sides, our footsteps echoing down the tunnels like a dying scream. The cold nipped at my nose and nibbled on my cheeks as I walked, my eyes searching the blackness for some sort of light. There was nothing, though, just shadows, like the void of nothingness that would swallow you whole if you took one false step in Tartarus. I shivered, trying not to think of that horrible experience.

The demigods at Camp Half-Blood had watched anxiously as we left on Festus, out on a search for both the Praetors and Percy. Camp Jupiter had appointed two temporary Praetors to run the camp until their other ones returned…if they returned. Gwen, even if she had retired a somewhat long time ago, had willingly volunteered to run the camp as despair loomed over everyone like a storm cloud. Along with Leila, who had helped them during the war with Gaea despite Camp Jupiter's feud with the Greeks, she was running the camp as best she could.

That had been three months ago. The quest was only supposed to take three weeks, and we'd gotten terribly lost in a maze of dark tunnels, with Festus probably worrying himself to death up in the world above. We'd been there for days, not sure due to the fact that there was no sunlight, our food and water dwindling and our air as stale as old bread. We couldn't tell the difference between night and day, and we had no idea when we should rest and when we should keep moving. Every minute that ebbed away was another minute that Percy spent being controlled by that wretched parasite, and that was enough morale to keep us going.

_The selected demigods will fly to the place_

_Where the son of the sea left without a trace_

_As they search the dark in vain_

_They will come across suffering and pain._

_One will finally take the last breath,_

_And welcome the night as dark as death. _

Rachel's words rang loud and clear in my head, clawing at my skull and demanding attention. I heard the labored breathing of my companions as they followed the sound of my footsteps, and I was careful to make sure that I tread loud enough and slow enough to make sure they were able to follow. My heartbeat roared in my ears and sweat beaded on my forehead despite the frigid cold in the tunnels. Leo's fire hadn't been working for some reason, and every match we'd lit spluttered out only after a few moments. Whatever lived down there sure didn't enjoy fire…or light, for that matter.

"Stop." I heard Jason gasp. "Please I'm exhausted." There was the sound of everyone collapsing onto the ground, bone tired. I clawed for air, but the staleness that I was able to gather did nothing. I struggled to breathe, coughing and gasping as my lungs searched for amounts of air that just weren't available. Jason patted me on the back until the fits ceased. "Shallow breaths, my friend. There isn't enough air for deep ones."

My head spun and if I could see, I was sure that my vision would tilt and swim. I was probably suffering from cerebral hypoxia and my companions probably were, too. It was only a matter of time before we suffocated. But we couldn't stop now; I could feel Percy getting closer and closer, like a pull in my gut that led me to him. Well that pull in my gut had led us down, down, down. The path we were following didn't slope up, not even for a moment. We just kept descending.

"Remind me to bring a portable tree next time were down here." Leo panted in attempted humor, which didn't so much as lighten the dreadful mood.

"If there is a next time." I muttered. "I doomed us all. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, we'll think of something. Percy is close. I can feel it." Jason assured me. It was just like the son of Jupiter to be an optimist. He was the one that was coping the best down here. With one eye, he wasn't affected as much when the sight from his other eye was taken away. I enjoyed the darkness, but after my experience in the bronze jar I had developed an increasing phobia o suffocation, and with this stale air I was beginning to relive that jar all over again. I had led my friends into a death trap, and I was panicking more than ever.

Jason, surprisingly, had shed his fear of touch long ago, becoming stronger as he learned more. Meanwhile the rest of us were becoming fearful and nervous, scared to look back at the past and horrified at what may lie in the future. Meanwhile, Jason kept looking straight ahead, charging through the good and the bad times. He was our beacon of hope. I remembered back when I first decided to lead us into the tunnels.

Nico? Nico. Nico! I'm over here, Nico!_ Percy's voice had chanted my name over and over again, leading me to the tunnels. His voice invaded my dreams and cried out into the night whenever it was quiet. I had told my friends of this voice, of Percy's voice coaxing me and this pull in my gut that was telling me to go west, towards the Romans. Leo had averted Festus' path towards Canada and backtracked to Kingston, New York. The trip had sapped us half a day, but I was pretty sure that Percy was there somewhere, trying to break free of Exodus' strong hands that held his mind in check. _

_That day they we were flying over the upstate town, searching for something. Anything. As long as it led us to Percy, Frank, and Reyna we were happy with it. That's when I saw the tunnels, well I didn't _see _the tunnels, but I sensed it. If I wasn't a son of Hades, then I would've never even known it was there. I had to say, it was hidden very well. _

_ "__Look!" I cried and pointed down. The large, towering trees obscured most of it from view, but I could see the blackness that the opening led into. _

_ "__I don't see anything!" Jason called over the wind. Leo chuckled._

_ "__Says the son of Jupiter with one eye!" he joked. Jason was not fond of the jokes he received about having one eye, but he handled it better than he had before._

_ "__Ha, ha. Very funny." he snarled. _

_ "__Don't go all sour on me, Jay, I can't see it either." Leo replied, sincerely guilty. I rolled my eyes at this as Leo steered Festus around so we circled the area again. How did the few mortals who lived here see us through the Mist? Were we a plane? Circling birds? I was leaning towards the latter. _

_ "__Let's just land. It's right there." I pointed to where I thought I'd seen the opening to the tunnels. And that's how we'd gotten into that mess. _

"C'mon, let's keep going." Leo's voice cut through my reveries. With I sigh I hauled myself to my feet and began trudging down the tunnel again, with my companions on my heels. We walked for a long while in silence, the ringing in my ears joined by the sound of our footsteps on stone and Percy's voice urging me forward. I couldn't give up on my friend, even if it killed me. The second, minutes, and hours dragged on, the darkness still not clearing from my vision. I wondered if this was just a dream, no, a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. But even as I pinched myself and my lungs searched for air, I knew that this was reality.

That's when I heard it. I stopped dead, my hearing sharpened due to the fact that my eyesight was useless. Jason bumped into me, as did Leo, but they didn't object, for they heard it too. The sharp sound of feet slamming on stone. Footsteps. Something was running straight for us. "Run!" I cried, and shoved my friends backwards. They stumbled, but didn't need to be told twice as we struggled up back the way we came. Instinctively, I kept looking over my shoulder, but I knew it was useless. I couldn't see what was coming for us. My heard slammed in my chest and my legs screamed in agony as I clambered up the steep slope. It wasn't just the hill that was slowing us down, it was some sort of force like in Tartarus. It pulled at our feet, urging us to go back down and confront the monster that was pursuing us.

My muscles needed more oxygen to run, and there wasn't any to spare. The fact that the thing was sprinting towards us proved yet again that it wasn't human. Its footsteps drummed against the stone ground like a bass drum, echoing throughout the tunnel. I gasped for air and stumbled, clutching my chest. I physically could not run, I couldn't. "Nico! Come on!" Jason cried as he and Leo pulled me forward.

"I can't!" I cried and crumbled to my knees, feeling as if though I was being strangled.

"We're not leaving you!" he was out of breath and I could feel how sweaty his palms were as he tried to pull me to my feet.

"Go." I breathed and collapsed onto my side, my consciousness winking out like a dying star.


	23. Chapter 23

**(A/N) I am SO sorry for not updating sooner! Please forgive me! I am so sorry if this is very short!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Exodus POV**

I sat at the black-haired boy's bedside, watching his chest rise and fall with the slow steadiness of unconsciousness. It was interesting how humans and demigods alike weren't that tolerant to pain, but it really wasn't a surprise. They were naked; they had been tossed into this growing world with nothing but their long legs, superior intellect, opposable thumbs, and, this only applied to demigods, their inherited powers, which only put them on monsters' radars.

They ceased to have protective scales like that of a crocodile, and they lacked the claws and night vision of a cat or the wings of a bird. They were not lithe like squirrels and could scale trees without assistance. They weren't able to defend themselves with poison or fangs; all they were equipped with was the weapons that they had made. They weren't fast like a cheetah or small like a rabbit, nor did they possess the ability to camouflage like an octopus. They could not burrow like a groundhog or leap like an antelope. They did not have the sheer size of an elephant or the gills of a fish. Their hearing was inferior to that of an owl's and their sense of smell was nothing compared to a bear's. They were just soft skin and bones.

It was a miracle that this species had fought their way to the top of the food chain and had become the dominant species on this planet. I found it utterly interesting. My people were known for mimicking other, more powerful animals in order to survive. We were also fast and small, therefore we could inch past undetected. I thought of myself, just a small worm that had lodged himself into a host body. It was a whole new experience within itself, even though I knew it was wrong.

Demigods were stronger, and faster than Dragonborn Crawlers. If Percy had been able to see me, he would have sliced me to buts, ripped me apart, or stomped on me like a bug. They were so full of potential power that they were blind to, and were unaware of their abilities due to the fact that they were born with them; people who have never even touched this sort of power would be more aware of it than a person who had lived with it all their life. Demigods and Dragonborn Crawlers certainly weren't alike at all, and I knew I would most likely miss this body when I convinced this black-haired boy, Percy's thoughts processed his name as Nico, to remove me…if he even let me live, which was rather unlikely. He would take me out and squash me in his palm, my blood and gush splattering all over the place like that of a slug.  
>The differences were unparalleled. I could see so much more from two legs, and I could do so many things with arms and hands and fingers. I don't even have arms or legs in my true form. Percy could run fast, while my stomach was tethered to the ground, forcing me to slither along silently. Percy just had so much…more. More intellect, more power, more height, more swiftness, more…body parts.<p>

It was like comparing a simple machine, let's say a pulley, to a computer microchip; the microchip was so much more advanced and harder to use. Peeing alone was a hassle. You have to aim and stuff and not just go wherever and whenever you need to go. Human customs were so much more complicated; you needed to do your business in one specific area of one specific room in one specific house. If you mess that up, you were considered odd. Sleeping is another thing. You couldn't just curl up on the ground or under some leaves and sleep, you had to sleep on a specific object in a specific room in a specific house and then you were set.

I was snapped out of my reveries when Nico began to moan, his eyelids twitching as he stirred. I didn't know whether it was a good idea to handcuff one of his hands to the bed, but I had been doing it for my own safety; if the demigod saw me he'd probably rearrange my facial features with his fist. I felt all warm inside when I remembered rescuing him. I had been on my way to turn myself in willingly to the demigods at Camp Half-Blood, but then I had found Nico's limp and unconscious form laying in the path. He was starved of oxygen and was a sliver away from death, and I also saw signs that there had been others who had attempted to carry him back out of the tunnels, but they had laid him down gently and reluctantly left.

I heard the door slamming behind me and looked up to see Reyna and Frank, their faces pinched with worry. Let's just say that Reyna was part of the reason that I had handcuffed Nico to the bed. She had went all daughter-of-the-war-goddess on me when she'd realized that I'd taken her from Camp Jupiter. Frank had been more docile, but you could see the seething rage in his eyes when he looked at me. They both still hated my guts, but we had made a pact; they don't kill me right now and I return them to Camp Jupiter, along with giving myself up in order to restore Percy as the owner of this body. It kind of felt like a one-sided agreement, but I had wanted to give myself up anyway, so technically all I was doing was bringing them home.

They haven't left since I am the only one that can travel through the tunnels without passing out from oxygen deprivation, and in order for them to leave I need to give them oxygen masks, which have been hidden in a super-secret place that, despite their effortless searching, has not been discovered yet. "Is he up?" Frank asked, his voice filled with concern. Reyna looked just as shocked. Her face was a chalky white and her hands were shaking. She knew just as well as I how close Nico had been to death yesterday, and she was praying, along with Frank and I, that he would wake up.

"Yup." I replied. I turned around to see the angry face of a certain son of Hades and a clenched fist as he nailed me in the face with the hand that I had not handcuffed to the bed. I should've been expecting that.


End file.
